ROMAN "CHOCOLATITO" GONZALEZ, THE NEW POUND-FOR-POUND KING
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 20 Sep 2015
Roman Gonzalez instantly hugged the limelight when he succeeded Floyd Mayweather, Jr. as the No. 1 boxer in The Ring pound-for-pound list. He is the current WBC and The Ring flyweight champion, as well as a former WBA light flyweight and WBA minimumweight champion.
Gonzalez became a household name in Philippine boxing as he is set to face Filipino-Hawaiian Brian Viloria on October 17, 2015 in defense of his Ring and WBC flyweight titles together with the Gennady Golovkin-David Lemieux middleweight bout in New York City.
Nicknamed "El Chocolatito", Gonzalez turned pro in the minimumweight or lightflyweight division in 2005. He was born on June 17,1987 to a poor boxing family in Managua, Nicaragua. He learned the basics and techniques of boxing from the legendary Nicaraguan boxer Alexis Arguello, also a three-time world champion nicknamed "El Flaco Explosivo," or "The Explosive Thin Man."
It was Arguello who gave him his famous nickname, Chocolatito, which means little chocolate. He would fight every two weeks for the prize of being able to eat food, such as rice or spaghetti.
Gonzalez turned pro on July 1, 2005, barely two weeks after turning 18, at Casino Pharaohs in Managua, knocking out his opponent in the second round of a four-rounder. He stopped his first 16 opponents, went to Japan on January 14, 2008, and fought to a decision against Hiroshi Matsumoto.
He then faced WBA world minimumweight champion Yutaka Niida in Yokohama, Japan and scored a technical knockout to win the title in 58 seconds of the fourth round on September 15, 2008. Niida, who had retired once due to back problems, never fought again after his defeat to Gonzalez.
After winning the WBA title, Gonzalez fought in heavier category as a flyweight on December 13, 2008 where he stopped Miguel Tellez in the third round of a ten-rounder. He returned to the minimumweight on February 28, 2009 to defend his world crown against Francisco Rosas which he defeated by majority decision.
Gonzalez was successful in his second title defense on July 14, 2009 by unanimous decision win over Katsunari Takayama. He then gave up his minimumweight title, and won the vacant WBA interim light flyweight title against Francisco Rojas in Tokyo on October 24, 2010, and was elevated as full champion in February 2011. He defeated Mexicans Manuel Vargas and Omar Salado, respectively in March and July, both in Mexico, where he retained the title.
In his third defense at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 1, 2011, Gonzalez knocked out Omar Soto with his right straight, left uppercut combinations 36 seconds of the second round. it was his first fight on American soil.
On March 17, 2012 Chocolatito fought Manuel Jimenez at Sinaloa, Mexico, defeating Jimenez via first round knockout with shots to the body.
On April 28, 2012 Gonzalez defended his WBA world light flyweight title against Ramon Garcia Hirales at Pomona, California. Referee Raul Caiz Jr. ended the bout after Garcia was knocked down twice in the fourth round.
On May 25, 2012 Gonzalez stopped Ronald Barrera in five rounds at Polideportivo Espa?a, Managua, Nicaragua. On 17 November 12, 2012, Gonzalez defeated Juan Francisco Estrada at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena by unanimous decision.
On September 21, 2013 he defeated Francisco Rodr?guez, Jr. by TKO in the 7th round in Nicaragua. He then defeated Oscar Blanquet in Japan, Juan Kantun in Mexico and Juan Purisima in Japan, raising his professional record to 39-0. Gonzalez defeated Akira Yaegashi via ninth-round TKO on September 5, 2014 in Tokyo, Japan to win the WBC and The Ring flyweight titles, becoming a boxing triple division champion.
On November 22, 2014, in Yokohama, Japan, Gonzalez had his first title defense in a one-sided fight with Filipino contender Rocky Fuentes stopping him in the sixth round. Gonzalez dropped Fuentes in the sixth round and trapped the Filipino with a flurry of punches to earn a TKO at 2:11 of the round.
On May 16, 2015, Gonzalez defeated Mexico's Edgar Sosa at The Forum at Inglewood, California to successfully defend his crown via a second round TKO. Sosa went down three times before the referee stopped the punishment with three seconds left at the second canto.
Gonzalez now has an immaculate 43-0-0 professional record with 37 KO wins for an 86% KO rate. Six more wins and he will equal Rocky Marciano and Floyd Mayweather's record.
Flyweights and even much less the lighter minimumweights and junior flyweights are not sellouts to boxing fans in the world. So they stayed in the shadow of bigger weight divisions. Chocolatito's climb to the top of the world gave a new meaning to small exciting fighters.
?I am very happy. Thank God and my team, today we?re at the top of the pound-for-pound lists in the world,? said Gonzalez as quoted by Ring TV. "It is one more blessing, and I am thankful to God, because now my effort has been worth it.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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