Roman Gonzalez continues to defy time at highest level of sport
Everything Roman Gonzalez accomplishes from here on out is gravy.
“Chocolatito,” 35, has built a Hall of Fame career over 17 years, not in one, but two unforgettable acts, the second of which continues in a third fight with arch rival Juan Francisco Estrada on Saturday night in Glendale, Arizona (DAZN).
In Act 1, the Nicaraguan used a combination of ability, work rate and knockout power to win titles in four divisions, climb to No. 1 on many pound-for-pound lists and make a strong case that he’s an all-time great.
Then he ran into trouble in the name of equally powerful Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, who stunned the boxing world by defeating Gonzalez in back-to-back fights in 2017 – the second time by a brutal fourth-round knockout.
It seemed as if the then-30-year-old was finished as an elite fighter. However, the reason for his sudden decline evidently had little to do with advancing age.
Gonzalez lost his career-long trainer and father figure Arnulfo Obando in November 2016, when Obando died shortly after suffering a stroke. Gonzalez was devastated by the loss, which left him ill-prepared to fight at a high level.
That changed in time. He got back into the ring a year after the second setback against Sor Rungvisai and proceeded to knock out three consecutive opponents, the last victory being a ninth-round stoppage of then 115-pound champion Khalid Yafai in February 2020 that catapulted him back onto pound-for-pound lists.
Decline? What decline? Act 2 had begun, with some help.
“The fans have witnessed the great things that have gradually happened. Ultimately God decides those things in our lives,” he said.
“Chocolatito” didn’t slow down after the Yafai victory, easily outpointing Israel Gonzalez to set up a rematch with a familiar opponent.
He had outpointed a young Estrada in defense of his 108-pound title near the peak of his powers in 2012, although the Mexican pushed him as hard as anyone before him to score points in the realm of public opinion even though he lost.
Estrada finally had a chance to avenge the setback in March of last year. It was a classic brawl, Estrada emerging with a disputed split-decision victory in a title-unification bout. Gonzalez rebounded by stopping hot 112-pound champ Julio Cesar Martinez in March, which leads us to this Saturday.
Gonzalez is confident he’ll win the rubber match. He also believes the fight will live up the standards of the first two meetings.
“We know it’s going to be a great fight, a war for the fans,” he said. “But we have faith in God that we’re going to come out victorious. We’ve worked well in our training camp. You’ll see this on Saturday. My physical condition has been very good.
“And I know it will be a beautiful fight for the fans. We’ve shown that the lighter weights have qualities that fans like to see. I get the feeling this third fight will be legendary too and many people will remember this great fight like the first and the second.
“The last two fights captured the hearts of the fans so the third will be a tremendous fight. It could be the best one.”
Gonzalez can’t go on forever, can he?
Most little fighters have moved on by the time they reach their mid-30s, when genuine decline has normally begun to set in. Gonzalez acknowledges that there isn’t likely to be an Act 3 at this stage of the game.
He said he plans to stick around as long as he still enjoys the process. And he’s loving it at the moment.
“It’s difficult to stop doing something that you like, you know?” he said. “God has blessed me so much in my life. I’ve been given pretty much everything, I know that we’re coming to a stage where it might be time to hang them up, but we always ask God for time.
“The most important thing 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’m loving it because I feel that God has given me such a great gift, you know?
Yes, we know.