Can Roman Gonzalez continue to turn back the clock this weekend against Julio Cesar Martinez, or is Chocolatito’s brilliant career coming to an end? Luke G. Williams previews the fascinating super flyweight match…
Greatness is an overused term in boxing. Strictly speaking, it’s a word that should only be reserved for truly exceptional warriors and professions, and perhaps only applied a few times every ten or 20 years.
On Saturday night, a boxer truly worthy of the name – indeed, probably the only boxer to date to have won it unequivocally – returned to action as Nicaraguan legend Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez takes on Julio Cesar ‘El Rey’ Martinez in San Diego a fight that doesn’t have a world title attached to it but, quite frankly, doesn’t need one.
The bald truth about Gonzalez’s glittering career and accomplishments need not be told but unfortunately, despite his consistent brilliance throughout a stellar 50-3 (41 KOs) professional CV that lasted since 2005, ‘Chocolatito’ has remained resolutely low, his career is all but unrecognized beyond the proper parameters of boxing.
A 4-weight world champion who has won titles in the strawweight, lightweight, flyweight and super flyweight classes, Gonzalez has defeated a host of high-caliber opponents, including Juan Francisco Estrada, Akira Yaegashi, Brian Viloria, McWilliams Arroyo and Carlos Cuadras.
Of his three losses, two were controversial point reversals (against Estrada in the 2021 rematch, and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in the 2017 rematch) – hence his 2017 rematch. The match against Srisaket, which he lost in the fourth round, was considered the only undisputed defeat. His remarkable CV.
Srisaket’s defeat was so devastating, and his subsequent injury problems, that eager obituaries rushed to abbreviate Gonzalez. But they do not take into account the remarkable resilience and determination of the Nicaraguans. Looking back, given the dazzling form Gonzalez showed that night destroying and then stopping Yafai for nine innings one way, it seems unbelievable that the Englishman entered the fight as the love betting.
After the victory over Israel Gonzalez in October 2020, Chocolatito returned to the ring against his old opponent Estrada in March last year. The two men created a classic showdown, dubbed the Battle of the Year by many, and although ‘El Gallo’ received the nod through the split decision, many believe Gonzalez should hands up.
A rubber match between the two men was mediated, but Estrada unfortunately had to withdraw after suffering the consequences of two debilitating matches with Covid-19.
Typical of his warrior mentality, Gonzalez didn’t hesitate to accept when tough Mexican flyweight Julio Cesar ‘El Rey’ Martinez stepped in to replace Estrada.
“They asked me to fight ‘El Rey’ Martinez. I told them no matter what, I’m ready to fight,” Gonzalez told Boxing Scene recently. “We have been trained for this [contest] with [El] Gallo and I don’t want it to go to waste waiting for the game to be rescheduled.”
A tough fighter with a ruthless and sometimes wild personality, Martinez brings to the ring an impressive 18-1 record (plus two no-fights) and a fighter mentality.
‘El Rey’ knocked out Andrew Selby in five in March 2019 and is on track to do a similar job with Charlie Edwards a few months later in a WBC flyweight world championship competition, just to fish The English club hastily as he descends and watches the bout rule a no contest.
In the next match, Martinez TKO’s compatriot Cristofer Rosales of Chocolatito claimed the WBC belt which Edwards was subsequently vacated (that Edwards vacated the belt to move to 115lbs rather than risk a mission. another against the Mexicans seems to have said).
Since then, Martinez has defended the WBC belt four times, including in an eventless competition with McWilliams Arroyo that lasted just two innings, but both saw both men hit the frame. Fort. Before moving up to 115lbs to face Gonzalez the most benign judges – the Boxing Social ratings committee – rated Martinez as the best flyweight in the world.
Those looking for information on Martinez’s win will point to the fact that recent weeks have seen a change of keeper in the super flyweight division.
Linear champion Estrada was sidelined, while Carlos Cuadras – former WBC super flyweight champion and former enemy of both Gonzalez and Estrada – was defeated by young shooter Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez for the The WBC belt is vacant. (Cuadras had to face another old foe of his in Srisaket for that title, only for the Thais to withdraw due to illness).
Suddenly, the four-way Estrada-Gonzalez-Srisaket-Cuadras rivalry that has served ten important matches since 2012 is in danger of being scrapped.
Last week, Jerwin Ancajas unexpectedly lost the IBF super flyweight title to Fernando Martinez.
So what are the odds for ‘El Rey’ to topple Gonzalez this weekend, thereby fueling this ‘change of guard’?
A major factor would be weight. Martinez failed to hit the 115lbs super fly class limit despite two weighing attempts on Friday. Will his bulk give him an edge over Gonzalez, or is it a sign that the Mexicans are not well prepared? Gonzalez’s side are certainly not pleased with his attempt to create weight.
After weighing initially at 117 lbs on the first weigh-in, Martinez surprisingly only lost another 0.6 lbs over the next hour and 36 minutes, regaining the weight at 10.36 a.m. local time, instead of spending two hours trying to make 115 lbs. Gonzalez head coach Marcos Caballero told Ring.tv on Friday: “He had two hours to lose weight and all he did was great.” “He didn’t run and he didn’t use the full two hours. That tells me he wants an edge. He still has water in him.”
It certainly wouldn’t be surprising if the Mexicans won. At 27, he’s younger, fresher, and – after a crushing defeat – a much older man. The Mexican has made just 89 rounds of his professional career compared to Gonzalez, who at 34 has played 271 professional rounds, many of which are terrifying for their intensity.
Gonzalez is certainly the better technician, and also a favorite of most bookmakers, but how much does he have left in the tank? Could this be too much of a fight?
If the Nicaraguan can absorb Martinez’s bomb and stay on his feet then with his punch volume and experience I can envision him moving his way to a one-point win. Sure, Chocolatito will be an emotional favorite – even more so given Martinez’s lack of professionalism when it comes to underweight – but boxing rarely brings a happy ending to boxers in their prime. marriage of a career, and it was a dangerous fight for the Nicaraguan master.
