Gavril still beholden to ex-mana!er
Contender recalls Toney’s generosity entering title fight
Ronald Gavril received an unexpectedphonecallat9:30a.m.on Jan.1,2012.itwashisnewfriendon the other line.
“What’s up, brother. I’m coming in five minutes.”
Gavril had just moved to the United States from Romania to pursue a professional boxing career. He didn’t have many friends and only knew a few English words.
Gavril didn’t care that he had only five minutes to get ready. He was just happy that his new friend was willing to spend time with him during his first New Year’s Day in America.
A rushed Gavril chose his nicest outfit and headed downstairs. Gavril approached the parked Cadillac blasting Rick Ross music across his Los Angeles neighborhood.
Asthecarwindowsrolleddown, the smoke from the driver’s cigar cleared. Former three-division champion James Toney appeared from the haze and began to shout.
“Hey, what the (explicit) is wrong with you? Where’s your bag?”
Toneywasgavril’snewfriendand trainer.
“Bro, it’s January first,” Gavril recalled telling Toney. “What bag? I thought we were going to a party. Maybe celebrate or drink a coffee, whatever. I had a nice shirt on.
“Nope, we went to the gym to work out.”
A lot has happened since Gavril left Romania seven years ago. He went from having no money or promoter to being trained by Toney for his first two professional bouts. He was forced to leave Los Angeles after his “crazy manager,” as Gavril likes to call him, didn’t deliver on his promises. He moved to Las Vegas and earned the respect of a second boxing legend — Floyd Mayweather.
Today, Gavril is signed to May- weather Promotions as a top super middleweight contender, and it’s been a long time since he’s called Toney to ask for money.
But he did invite Toney to his Feb. 17 fight against David Benavidez at the Mandalay Bay Events Center for Benavidez’s WBC title.
“Make sure (Toney) comes,” said Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “We’ll take care of him.”
Gavril came up short the first time he fought Benavidez at the Hard Rock Hotel in September for the vacant WBC super middleweight title. Toney wasn’t in attendance for the first bout.
Maybe it was best Gavril lost. It wouldn’t have been a perfect night if Gavril became a world champion without the man who jump-started his career there to celebrate with him.
Toney plans on being ringside for the rematch. The Gavril-benavidez title fight is the co-main event for the Showtime-televised card headlined by the welterweight bout between Danny Garcia and Brandon Rios.
Gavril, 31, made a name for himself in the first Benavidez bout with a relentless comeback during one of the best matches of 2017. Benavidez, considered by many the next boxing star, pressed the action and was looking for a late knockout, but he was the one who hit the canvas.
Gavril (18-2, 14 knockouts) landed a sweet left-counter hook to Benavidez’s chin to record a 12th-round knockdown. Gavril raised his right fist as the Romanian flags began to wave in the crowd.
“We thought the knockdown was the icing on the cake,” Ellerbe said. “I remember looking at Floyd in shock when we heard the scores.”
The scorecards were all over the place. Judge Glenn Trowbridge had it 116-111 for Gavril. Dave Moretti had it 117-111 and Adalaide Byrd scored it 116-11, both in favor of Benavidez, who became the youngest super middleweight champion at 20.
The loss fueled Gavril to work harder. His untiring work ethic is what won over Toney, Mayweather and Ellerbe. He’s the guy in the gym no one wants to spar.
“I remember being star-strucked seeing James Toney for the first time at the gym,” Gavril said. “He would call me ‘Fresh Meat.’ He would say, ‘Hey, Fresh Meat. Go spar this guy.’”
Toney lined up guys for Gavril to
spar with, and each one went down. Soon after, Toney stopped calling Gavril “Fresh Meat” and gave the Romanian a new nickname.
Gavril had an offer to fight his second pro bout in Romania. Toney paid for the hotel and flight and off they went for Gavril’s homecoming.
“They told me what I wanted my trunks to say,” Gavril recalled. “I asked James Toney to think of something.”
Toney spent the next hour pacing around the hotel lobby with a cigar in his mouth thinking of new moniker.
“Ronald this, not good. Ronald that, not good,” Gavril remembered Toney mumbling. “He says, ‘I got it. You’re The Thrill.’”
Ronald “The Thrill” Gavril had fans on their feet during the Benavidez fight. He plans for a thrilling finish for the rematch.
Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Gmanzano24 on Twitter.