The champ is back: Roman 'Chocolatito' Gonzalez on top again

In the chief support bout of the Mikey Garcia-Jesse Vargas fight last Saturday night, at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas, four division world champion Roman “Chocolatito” González, (49-2, 41 KO’s), successfully returned to the winners circle as he knocked out England’s WBA Super Flyweight champ Khalid Yafai (26-1, 15 KO’s) early in the 9th round.

This is a huge win, and a major comeback of sorts, for the former P4P King of boxing. González suffered through a disastrous 2017 where he lost his trainer (late 2016) and then dropped two straight fights to Sor Ringvisai, first by decision and then by stoppage. Going into this fight he was either going to regain the title or perhaps have to think long and hard about career options outside the ring.

Gonzalez, perhaps feeling physically and mentally burnt out, took almost 18 months off before returning in September of 2018. However, he didn’t exactly adopt an Emanuel Navarrete-esque schedule on his return fighting only once in 2018 and once in 2019.

There was no question that heading into this fight he would still be shaking off some ring rust and many were wondering if he had another good run in him. Or, perhaps this bout, against an undefeated, younger, highly skilled boxer, was a well-paying, soft landing for a formerly great champion?

After the more than impressive performance he gave Saturday night in the Lone Star State, it is safe to say Chocolatito is back. Non-stop aggression, solid body shots, right hands and uppercuts, that found a home all night long, would be the order of the day for the Nicaraguan superstar.

The tone of the fight went from, ‘Hey, it looks like Gonzalez is going to have a little more left than we thought’, to ‘Wow, the old champion has a lot more left than we thought; he is taking over."

Then, it was clear by the second half of the fight that the slicker boxer, Yafi, couldn’t hold off the relentless attack of the rejuvenated (former and soon to be current) world campion; Chocolatito was clearly in control. While Yafi was only younger than Gonzalez by a couple of years going into the fight, many wondered if 15 years and 50 fights had caught up with Roman and his best days were in the rear view mirror? However, on Saturday night, it was Gonzalez who fought like the younger, fresher fighter.

Sometimes it is just enough to win. You don’t have to beat your opponent at their game to prove how you chose to win. By heading into Chocolatito’s comfort zone, Yafi opened up opportunities that might not have been there for Gonzalez had Yafi chosen to play to his own strengths and employ a slick boxing strategy. I think Yafi will look back at this fight and wonder why he employed the strategy he did.

Probably the faster of the 2 fighters, Yafi chose to slug it out with Gonzalez and stay right in front of him all night to, I assume, show he could beat him at his own game. As they say, ‘Go with what brung ya, son’. The strategy, along with Gonzalez looking and performing like a refreshed fighter, spelled a tough night for Yafi.

With less than ten seconds left in the 8th round, Yafi was dropped by a solid overhand right that was set up by the uppercut. He made it out of the round, but it was evident that the end was near. Gonzalez came out for round nine and immediately went on the attack; a vicious right cross on the button sent Yafi to the canvas. Referee Luis Pabon waved off the fight at 0:29 second mark; Chocolatito was back and was now a 5-time world champion.

DAZN analyst, and former world champion, Sergio Mora said from ringside, “The champ is back, the king is back”.

Speaking in a post-fight interview, the deeply religious Gonzalez said that, “I have God’s strength and God gave me the title back”, he said. “Everything that I have accomplished, it is because of God”.

Added DAZN ringside announcer Brian Kenny, “He was the P4P King and he showed us why tonight. There is going to be a lot of interest in this weight class with the return of the king”, he said.

Added Gonzalez, “I want to unify the titles, those are the fights I want, against other champions”.