Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez was able to turn back the clock with his latest ring performance, in large part due to his ability to learn from the past.
The four-division champion and former pound-for-pound king earned a second junior bantamweight title with a rousing 9th round knockout of previously unbeaten Kal Yafai this past February in Frisco, Texas. The win marked the first in more than three years where the future Hall of Famer from Nicaragua left the ring with a title around his waist, having never successfully defended the 115-pound title he claimed in September 2016.
His first reign was one-and-done, dropping a disputed 12-round decision to Thailand’s Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in their first fight in March 2017. The end result was undoubtedly disappointing, losing his belt, unbeaten record and grip on the mythical pound-for-pound crown in one fell swoop.
Nevertheless, it was also the start of a two-fight series which will remain with him forever.
“The first fight against Sor Rungvisai was a very good, explosive fight,” Gonzalez (49-2, 41KOs) fondly recalled in a joint interview with his friendly divisional rival, as hosted by noted Nicaragua scribe Levi Luna of Canal TN8. “It was an amazing fight. There was blood splattered everywhere.
“Even after the first fight, I recall that Sor Rungvisai can take a lot of punishment. He’s a very aggressive fighter. He can take a lot of punishment and a lot of punches.”
Their rematch was far more emphatic, with Gonzalez suffering a shockingly one-sided 4th round knockout in September 2017.
“The second fight… as everyone knows, I got knocked out, no ifs and or buts about it. I got knocked out.” Gonzalez bluntly stated. “It was an honor to share the ring with Sor Rungvisai (twice), because he is a great warrior and a great champion.
“I want to see him become world champion once again. He has shown time and time again by facing the best boxers—against myself, against El Gallo Estrada and others. He’s proven to be an elite fighter and I truly wish him nothing but the best.”
Following the repeat win over Gonzalez, the next order of business for Sor Rungvisai (47-5-1, 41KOs) was capturing the lineal junior bantamweight champion. He did just that with a 12-round win over Mexico’s Juan Francisco ‘El Gallo’ Estrada in their February 2018 war. Two more wins followed, both in his native Thailand and including his final successful title defense—a 12-round win over Irak Diaz in October 2018—before dropping a tightly contested decision versus Estrada in their rematch last April.
The truncated 2020 schedule has left Sor Rungvisai without a fight this year, awaiting clearance from the current coronavirus pandemic to move forward with a showdown versus countryman and former flyweight titlist Amnat Ruenroeng. With Gonzalez back in the title picture, he looks forward to once again sharing the ring with Sor Rungvisai or Estrada, the latter whom he outpointed in his final 108-pound title defense in November 2012.
Whatever comes of the future, there remains a significant part of his past which will never be forgotten.
“There are some fights that you remember forever,” notes Gonzalez. “These fights are memories for a lifetime.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox