By Steve Kim
WBC flyweight champion Roman Gonzalez played to rave reviews in blowing out Edgar Sosa in two rounds at the Forum this past weekend in what was his HBO debut. And with that type of outing, 'Chocolatito' cemented his standing with the network, which hasn't traditionally broadcast fights at this weight class.
Peter Nelson, the V.P. of Programming for HBO Sports told BoxingScene.com - "I think everyone's clamoring to see him again as soon as possible and the kid stays in shape, he likes fighting frequently. He's a fighter that commands respect."
With his emphatic victory, the pride of Nicaragua upped his record to 43-0 (37 KO's). At age 27, he is right in the thick of his physical prime.
"I had dinner with Mr. (Akihiro) Honda and Tom Loeffler [Sunday] night," said Nelson, speaking of the the head of Teiken Promotions, which represents Gonzalez and the managing director of K2 Promotions, which handles Gennady Golovkin, who scored his 20th consecutive stoppage over Willie Monroe Jr. in this past weekends mai event.
Word is that Teiken and K2 are actively discussing some sort of arrangement where Gonzalez and Golovkin would be paired on a regular basis in the States.
Regardless, expect to see Gonzalez on HBO early and often from here on out.
"I think it's safe to say that a spectacular performance like that makes subscribers say that they want to see more of a fighter like 'Chocolatito' Gonzalez," stated Nelson.
Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.