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Junior Bantamweight / Super Flyweight Rankings

roman gonzalez

'chocolatito'

Nation

nicaragua

Date of birth

june 17, 1987 (35 Years Old)

Height

5 ft 3 (160 cm)

Reach

64 in (163 cm)

Wins

51

Losses

4

Ko's

41

roman gonzalez bio

roman gonzalez

'chocolatito'

Nation

nicaragua

DATE OF BIRTH​

june 17, 1987 (35 Years Old)

Height

5 ft 3 (160 cm)

REACH​

64 in (163 cm)

wins

51

Losses

4

ko's

41

Titles Won

WBA  world minimumweight + junior flyweight + super flyweight

WBA (interim) world junior flyweight

WBC  world flyweight + super flyweight

The Ring  lineal flyweight
WBA fedecentro junior flyweight

WBA fedelatin junior flyweight

Nicaraguan junior flyweight

Titles Won

WBA  world minimumweight + junior flyweight + super flyweight

WBA (interim) world junior flyweight

WBC  world flyweight + super flyweight

The Ring  lineal flyweight
WBA fedecentro junior flyweight

WBA fedelatin junior flyweight

Nicaraguan junior flyweight

Background

Roman Gonzalez is known to have amassed an 88-0 undefeated record throughout his amateur career. He turned professional in 2005.

roman gonzalez background

Accomplishments

First competing as a Junior Flyweight since 2005, Roman Gonzalez spent the first year of his career testing his skills and prowess as a pro. By 2006, he moved up the rankings enough to be eligible for national and international championship fights and he subsequently won low and mid-tier titles through the next two years, all whilst remaining undefeated.

In 2008, Roman Gonzalez challenged Yutaka Niida for his WBA world Minimumweight title and he proved successful in that contest, beating the Japanese champion convincingly by stopping him in the fourth round. Having become a world champion for the first time of his career, Roman Gonzalez retained his title thrice in 2009 and 2010. In the latter year, he decided to move back up to Junior Flyweight.

Gonzalez became an interim world champion of the WBA – still in 2010 – at Junior Flyweight when he knocked out Francisco Rosas in the second round of their bout. He became a full world champion not long after, and defended his three times in the same year of 2011. In 2012 he retained his title another two times, and claimed a crucial victory over future world champion Juan Francisco Estrada who would become his main rival in the lower divisions over the course of the next decade.

After exactly a dozen fights over a period of five years, Gonzalez would move up to Flyweight and become a WBC and The Ring champion. In 2017, he faced Srisaket Sor Rungvisai for the WBC world title as a Super Flyweight, but subsequently lost to Rungvisai by majority decision. Though they rematched months later in September, Gonzalez failed to avenge his loss and was shockingly knocked out for the first time of his career in his second fight with Rungvisai.

With two successive losses now marring his record, Gonzalez continued to campaign at Super Flyweight and his efforts were eventually awarded when he won his first world title in the division beating WBA champion Kal Yafai through a TKO victory in 2020. After retaining his WBA title against Mexican prospect Israel Gonzalez – also in 2020 also, Gonzalez faced Juan Fransico Estrada for the second time of his career in a unification bout, but fell to a tight split-decision defeat against the Mexican. 

After beating another Mexican prospect in Julio Cesar Martinez in March of 2022, ‘Chocolatito’ was scheduled to face Estrada for a third bout in December of 2022 for The Ring and WBC titles.

Gonzalez fell to a second defeat to Estrada, losing by a close majority decision to the Mexican fighter.

Boxing Style

roman gonzalez boxing style

Roman Gonzalez is known as an orthodox pressure fighter and combination puncher. To complement is style, he has developed the head and body movement needed to throw opponents off, especially when he utilizes his jab to set up his other hand. He has developed his footwork to a high-level, allowing him to position himself in such a way his attacks can be made more lethal.

Gonzalez employs a highly-effective high guard which makes him a hard opponent to penetrate when he combines that with his head movement. His accuracy both during and outside of exchanges with his opponent has made him one of the most dangerous fighers in the lower division as he doesn’t lack for power either.