Joet Gonzalez has not managed more than one win in a row over his past six starts.

The two-time title challenger is at least back on the right side of that streak.

A furiously paced ten-round featherweight bout saw Gonzalez outland a busier Jose Enrique Vivas to win a wide unanimous decision win. Judges Joe Mason (98-92), David Sutherland (98-92) and Chris Ritter (99-91) awarded Gonzalez’s efficient offense in their ESPN+ co-feature from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Gonzalez hadn’t fought since a ten-round points loss to Isaac Dogboe last July. A late start in that fight cost Gonzalez what could have been a third title shot which instead went to the former WBO junior featherweight titlist in Saturday’s main event.

There was little separation between the pair of high-volume punchers throughout this fight. Gonzalez did not waste any time to rev his engine. The fighting pride of Glendora, California attempted to create distance between the two and enjoyed early success with his right hand over the top. Vivas quickly forced an inside fight through a dedicated body attack that didn’t let up any point in the contest.

Gonzalez responded in kind, targeting Vivas’ midsection late in round one and throughout the second round. Vivas was the busier fighter of the two but Gonzalez managed to drop a right hand over Vivas’ guard late in the frame.

Vivas tasted a right hand by Gonzalez and immediately responded with a left hook to the body in round three. The 28-year-old from Texcoco, Mexico managed a triple left hook upstairs and let his hands go for the balance of the round. Gonzalez conceded the activity rate and settled for accuracy and efficiency. Vivas—who landed 29-of-110 punches according to Compubox—was an inviting target for Gonzalez’s flurries, mostly upstairs as he landed a staggering 42-of-68 punches in the round.

Gonzalez leaned on the ropes as Vivas let his hands go in round four. The strategy was risky but once again effective, as Gonzalez was able to fire back with a looping right hand and left hook that landed clean on Vivas’ chin. Vivas continued to throw punches nonstop, though discouraged by his corner to further waste energy and instead invest more power into each shot.

The advice proved detrimental. Gonzalez was able to slip most of the incoming, despite Vivas maintaining a comparable work rate to his performance in the preceding rounds.

There was minor concern in Gonzalez’s corner that he was not doing enough to surge ahead, to which he responded with a two-fisted attack in round six. Vivas’ mouthpiece was dislodged courtesy of a right uppercut by Gonzalez, though the next lull in the action wouldn’t come for nearly another minute. Gonzalez went back on the attack once action resumed but was wide with a right hand upstairs. Both boxers landed overhand rights in the final ten seconds.

Gonzalez was able to get more leverages on his punches in round seven. A subtle adjustment to keep Vivas on the outside allowed Gonzalez to land right hands and then shift out of harm’s way by the time Vivas had the chance to respond. Vivas connected with a left hook to the chin and then to the body but couldn’t properly follow up to inflict additional damage.

Gonzalez was able to repeatedly land his left hook over Vivas’s right hand in round eight. The veteran contender would allow Vivas to come inside and attempt to tie up, at which point he’d launch his offense. Vivas landed a left hook to the body, to which Gonzalez responded and later stopped Vivas in his tracks with a right hand to the chin.

A tightly contested round nine dramatically shifted in Gonzalez’s favor in the final 30 seconds. Gonzalez landed left hooks and a series of right hands that snapped back the head of Vivas (22-3, 11KOs) and rapidly caused swelling on the right side of his face.

Gonzalez moved to 26-3 (15KOs) with the win, his first in more than a year. His three defeats have come to former or current champions, including wide decisions in favor of Shakur Stevenson and Emanuel Navarrete in separate title fights.

Headlining the show, Robeisy Ramirez (11-1, 7KOs) and Isaac Dogboe (24-2, 15KOs) meet in a scheduled 12-round vacant WBO featherweight title fight.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for krikya360.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox