Three years ago to the day, began the fall of the Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez empire.
A controversial points loss to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai saw the first defeat in the stellar career of Gonzalez, at the time an unbeaten four-division and reigning junior bantamweight titlist. More so, he was regarded by most experts as pound-for-pound the very best in the world and arguably right alongside the late, legendary Alexis Arguello as the greatest boxers to every come out of Nicaragua.
That dynamic didn’t entirely change on March 18, 2017, given the outcome which remains disputed to this very day.
“I’ve always valued the opinions of the media and left things like that for them to decide,” Gonzalez (49-2, 41KOs) told BoxingScene.com, both of the disputed nature of his first loss as well as the general viewpoint of where he stood among the sport’s elite.
The outcome notwithstanding, it was a rare moment that boxing’s ultimate little big man was made to look human, no more so than suffering the first knockdown of his career which came in the first round of their HBO Pay-Per-View chief support to the 17th of 20 successful middleweight title defenses lodged by Gennadiy Golovkin, then unbeaten (and also then still “Gennady”).
Scores of 113-113 even and 114-112 (twice) in favor of Sor Rungvisai did not resonate well with the general boxing public. Ever the sportsman, the evening’s declared loser exited with his head held high.
"It was a very tough fight, a difficult fight, but thank God we came out well,” Gonzalez said at the time, speaking to his general health. "It was a difficult fight and God knows how things are. I did a good job, I was in the best physical condition, I fought the entire twelve rounds bleeding and it was a difficult fight, but thank God everything went well and here we are.
“It was a great fight, most of the punches I threw I was able to connect... but well, that's the sport. I was not happy with the ruling, I know it was a difficult fight but I never imagined that I would lose.”
Few imagined how the rematch would play out. Sor Rungvisai dominated their September 2017 session from the outset, twice flooring Gonzalez with the latter of the two going for the full count to remove him from the title picture and the pound-for-pound mix altogether.
The two-fight set marked the end of a run that went back much further than when he was formally introduced to HBO viewers in 2015, back when the network was not only still providing boxing content but was the biggest game in town. His network debut, a two-round drubbing of former 108-pound titlist Edgar Sosa to successfully defend his lineal flyweight championship came in supporting capacity to a Golovkin title defense. The two—both unbeaten and high on most pound-for-pound lists—would appear on HBO on the same night for five straight telecasts, including one where they were in separate countries in September 2016.
It was the second such hookup, however, when most boxing fans formally lent credence to Gonzalez being the very best in the world. It helped that his place atop that mountain came with the endorsement of the sport’s previous king.
Gonzalez’s 9th round stoppage of 2000 U.S. Olympian and former two-division titlist Brian Viloria came one month after what at the time was regarded as the final fight of Floyd Mayweather’s perfect boxing career. The former five-division champ exited the sport following his September 2015 points win over Andre Berto, at the time insisting it was for good.
Wins over Viloria in October 2017 and McWilliams Arroyo in April 2018 ran Gonzalez’s record to 45-0 (38KOs) by the time Mayweather was comfortable with passing the torch.
“Roman Gonzalez [is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world],” Mayweather said shortly after Gonzalez’s aforementioned win over Arroyo. “Chocolatito, Roman Gonzalez. He’s unbelievable, a good puncher, a good boxer, a very good fighter.”
The stance was further validated in a 12-round win over undefeated 115-pount titlist Carlos Cuadras in September 2016. It’s been a slow road back to past glory for Gonzalez, who went a year between his second loss to Sor Rungvisai and a September 2018 knockout win over journeyman Mauricio Fuentes. Another 15 months would pass by before he blessed the ring with his presence, stopping Diomel Diocos in two rounds last December in Yokohama, Japan.
The bout streamed live on ESPN+ in the wee hours of the morning for most stateside viewers, though providing just what Gonzalez needed to position himself for another title fight. His throwback performance in a 9th round knockout of unbeaten Khalid ‘Kal’ Yafai—which occurred on Leap Day, February 29, 2020—not only gave him a second reign at 115 pounds, but also a reminder of why his career is Canastota-bound from the moment he’s eligible for the Hall of Fame ballot.
Of course, it’s not why he does it—but it makes the fruits of his labor that much sweeter. It’s also why he doesn’t hesitate to look back on the low points, or shy away from such anniversaries.
“It’s an honor to know that people think that much of me,” Gonzalez humbly admits. “It’s a testament to the hard work and effort that I have put in throughout my career.
“God put me in a position to collect more titles. I just have to continue to make the best of every opportunity.”
Needless to say, the next Leap Day will be looked upon with far more admiration than March 18 in years ahead.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox