Gonzales, 2 Other Gold Medalists on Boxing Card at Paladium Today

Paul Gonzales, Henry Tillman and Frank Tate, who won Olympic gold medals as part of the U.S. boxing team, are fighting on the same card today at the Hollywood Paladium.

Gonzales will be making his professional debut on the anniversary of when he won the gold medal as a light flyweight. He will fight Jose (Pulga) Torres in a six-round bout.

In the other two fights, both of them scheduled for six rounds, Tillman will fight Larry Phelps in a cruiserweight bout and Tate faces Thomas (Mad Dog) Smith in a middleweight bout.

The fights, being nationally televised by CBS, will be carried on Channel 2 at 1 p.m.

Tillman is 5-0 with four knockouts whereas Tate is 7-0 with six knockouts.

Tillman, with limited amateur experience, is being regarded as a legitimate heavyweight contender.

Most of the attention, however will be on Gonzales, who has not fought since breaking a bone in his hand in his first Olympic fight more than a year ago.

Gonzales will make $20,000 in his professional debut. He said that while it has taken a long time to begin his career as a pro, he has no regrets about not starting sooner.

“I’m not concerned about how much money I lost,” he said. “It’s given me time to mature. I had a lot of time to think and try to get Paul Gonzales on the road.”