There is not much that Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez hasn’t accomplished in his already incredible career.
That is not to be mistaken for their not being anything left to achieve.
For starters, the Nicaraguan boxing legend is eager to change his current title status from ‘former’ to ‘current.’ It won’t happen in his next fight, no matter how he fares versus Julio Cesar ‘El Rey’ Martinez (18-1, 14KOs; 2ND) in their March 5 DAZN headliner from Pechanga Arena in San Diego. A win does nicely set up the former four-division titlist for another shot at a junior bantamweight crown.
From there? Perhaps even a little bit of history,
“Who knows, maybe I can even go on to win a title at 118 pounds and become a five-division champion,” Gonzalez told BoxingScene.com. “We’ll have to see. We’re not at that point in my career and I’m still thinking about stuff like that. Time will tell.”
A title win at bantamweight would leave Gonzalez (50-3, 41KOs) as the first-ever five-division champion in boxing history to have begun his career at strawweight. Gonzalez is joined by Donnie Nietes, Kazuto Ioka and Leo Gamez among boxing’s only fighters to have won major titles at strawweight, junior flyweight, flyweight and junior bantamweight. Gamez is the only one from that group to attempt to win a bantamweight title, falling short for a shot at the WBA crown as well as two more cracks at interim belts.
Gonzalez has proven to remain among the best junior bantamweights—and pound-for-pound boxers—in the world, even in what is supposed to be the twilight of his career. To win a title at bantamweight would extend the conversation from modern-day great to where he belongs among the sport’s all-time very best.
For now, Gonzalez is focused on reclaiming the most recent title he held. That opportunity was to have come in his next fight, only for longtime rival and reigning lineal/WBA “Super” junior bantamweight champion Juan Francisco ‘El Gallo’ Estrada (42-3, 28KOs) to test positive for Covid in having to withdraw from their planned rubber match. A win by Gonzalez would have launched his sixth title reign across four weight divisions, including three at junior bantamweight.
Martinez accepted the fight on a moment’s notice, though putting his WBC flyweight title reign for a shot to conquer the sport’s very best fighters in recent history, even without a belt at stake. The same investment has been made by Gonzalez, who is fine with taking one more fight to reach his next—though not final—goal.
“God has already given me so much in my career,” admits Gonzalez. “I fight because I believe I still have more to offer the sport. I would love to become a champion again and possibly unify the titles (at junior bantamweight).”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox