By: Sean Crose
“We knew it was going to be a big fight, a fight for the fans,” Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez said of this Saturday’s WBC bantamweight title fight between him and arch-nemesis Juan. Francisco Estrada. “But we have faith in God that we will win. We did a good job in our training camp and you’ll see this on Saturday.” Chocolatito has faced Estrada twice before, once in 2012 and again in 2021. He won the first match, the second being given to Estrada through a controversial decision. With so much going on in Saturday’s fight in Glendale Arizona, it’s no surprise that Chocolatito-Estrada 3 is getting more press attention than the third Tyson Fury-Derek Chisora bout, which will also take place. out this Saturday.
After all, Fury is expected to win easily when he goes up against Chisora. No one can say with complete confidence how the battle of Chocolatito-Estrada will play out. However, Chocolatito showed confidence. “My physical condition is very good,” he said, “and I know it will be a beautiful match for the fans. We’ve proven that lighter weight has qualities that fans want to see. I have a feeling this third battle will also become legendary and many people will remember this great battle as the first and second. The previous two games have won the hearts of the fans, so the third one will be a terrifying one, it could be the best one.”
Of course, Chocolatito is now 35 years old, which would be fine if he was a heavyweight boxer. However, Chocolatito will weigh no more than 112 pounds for the match against Estrada. Keeping in mind that smaller fighters don’t usually live as long as bigger fighters, it’s clear that Chocolatito’s career will most likely come sooner or later. It is something that the man himself admits can be difficult to face. “It’s hard to stop doing something you love, you know?” he say. “God has blessed me so much in my life. I’ve been given almost everything, I know we’re getting to the point where it might be time to hang them up, but we always ask God for time.”
The legendary 51-3 fighter has no complaints. “The most important thing,” he said, “is to enjoy the moment. And right now, I’m enjoying myself because you’ll never get these moments back, so I’m enjoying it, I love it because I feel that God has given me a gift. so great, you know?”
