The IBHOF boxer and gambling expert weighed in on Saturday night’s clash between fourth-weight champion Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez and heavyweight Julio Cesar Martinez in San Diego.
It is always something. Julio Cesar Martinez, despite moving up from flyweight, somehow won 116.4lbs for his San Diego bout with Chocolatito Gonzalez, who played 12 rounds for the WBC Diamond championship at 115 pounds. .
How can a moving fighter get overweight? Oh, it happened, tonight’s fight is still on, and bettors have the usual hard feeling when a boxer slips.
Has Martinez failed to show caution when it comes to dedication and lifestyle? Or did he simply outgrow the 112lbs division?
Martinez joined the fight to replace Juan Francisco Estrada, who tested positive for Covid-19. My guess is that Martinez was already heavy when he started training and decided not to let himself run out by pulling down to the 115lbs limit.
I think Martinez looks happy and healthy with the weight on. I’m assuming he’s actually in combat mode and ready for 12 rounds against the future Hall of Famer.
Chocolatito (like Canelo Alvarez, his nickname is used on battle posters, not last or first name) is a favorite, as one would expect, with an industry-wide price of 4/6. Martinez is available for a general price of 6/5.
It is very difficult to fight against Chocolatito. If Alexis Arguello is Nicaragua’s greatest boxer, Chocolatito can’t be far behind. He’s the fourth weight class world champion and he didn’t seem to lose a single step when he fought Juan Francisco Estrada in his rematch last March.
Chocolatito’s fourth-round KO loss to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai four years ago now seems like a mirage. However, Chocolatito is really coming of age for a boxer in the lighter weight classes. He turns 35 in 4 months and he’s been boxing professionally for 17 years.
Of course, Martinez doesn’t have anything like Chocolatito’s experience. However, I quite like Martinez’s chances. He is not a child. At the age of 27, Martinez is already a mature boxer. He has the close shot, body punches and left hooks that people associate with top Mexican boxers.
San Diego is just a short drive from Tijuana and has a large Mexican-heritage population, so the majority of the crowd is likely to be cheering for Martinez, although there will be support for Chocolatito, who is popular with people. Very loved fans everywhere. .
And it’s easy to see why Chocolatito is so highly rated. As a person he has always been humble and even humble, and as a fighter, he is fun to watch with his combination of skill, strength, educated aggression, and plenty of punches. flexible.
He’s clearly still a formidable fighter even as he nears the age of 30.
But, in Martinez, he’s facing a bit of a backlash. Martinez is a fierce fighter and he never stops pushing. In his final fight, Martinez was on his way to stop McWilliams Arroyo as the match ended with an early clash in the second round. I think if the fight goes on for another round or two, Martinez will get Arroyo out of there.
Now Martinez faces his biggest test yet. I think he’s ready for that.
If you like the idea of a sadness, unfortunately the odds for Martinez aren’t too generous. However, it may be worth considering the Martinez KO/TKO proposal – available with a Social boxing increase on Betfred at a rate of 4/1 . As the saying goes, Chocolatito can always age overnight.
For those who think Martinez is simply raising the bar too far, Chocolatito by KO/TKO at 12/5 could be an attractive bet.
It’s basically even money odds on whether the fight will go the distance or not. And it’s actually a flip of the “distance – yes” and “distance – no” clauses.
The underweight Martinez complicates things as we have to guess whether he is in optimal condition. But when the match was announced, my first thought was that this is a match that Martinez could win and I remain steadfast in my opinion. In a fight where the case could be made for either, I sided with youth over experience.
Main image: Chocolatito (left) and Martinez (right) clash tonight. Photo: Ed Mulholland / Matchroom USA.
