Roman Gonzalez is playing with house money, so to speak.
The mighty little Nicaraguan will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer regardless of what happens on Saturday, when “Chocolatito” will face Juan Francisco Estrada in a rematch of their 2012 fight, which a prime Gonzalez won by a unanimous decision.
A victory would complete a remarkable comeback for Gonazlez, who lost back-to-back fights to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in 2017, but he has nothing prove 15-plus years into a remarkable career.
Gonzalez (50-2, 41 KOs) was a disciple of his great countryman Alexis Arguello, who was his friend and mentor – along with longtime trainer Arnulfo Obando — in the years before the boxing legend’s untimely death in 2009.
And, naturally, it didn’t take long before people began to compare the student to the teacher.
Gonzalez had already won titles at strawweight and junior flyweight – and made a total of eight successful defenses, including one against Estrada – when, in 2014, he received the opportunity to equal Arguello’s accomplishment of winning titles in three divisions.
The opponent was respected WBC flyweight beltholder Akira Yaegashi. The fight took place in Japan, where he had won his first two championships. And the result was the same: Gonzalez stopped Yaegashi in nine rounds.
No victory meant more to him.
“When I fought Yaegashi, the question that all of Nicaragua had was, ‘Are you on the same level as Alexis Arguello?’” Gonzalez said. “I won that third title in Japan and then a fourth title came, where everybody was waiting expectantly to see if I’d win it.
“I trained a lot because it was one of my dreams. And then … boom! I won the title and Nicaragua welcomed me like never before. I’m so proud to have represented my country with such dignity. And, well, I’m so happy for my parents, my family.
“And for Alexis, who was always there for me, teaching me the good things about this boxing world. I always respected all the orders Alexis gave me because he’s a three-time champion. It’s an honor. He was like my father. We were very close.”
The title in a fourth division came against Carlos Cuadras in 2016, when Gonzalez captured the WBC junior bantamweight belt by a unanimous decision. He had surpassed Arguello’s feat and climbed to top of many pound-for-pound lists.
And then his career was turned upside down.
Sor Rungvisai outpointed him in March 2017 and then stopped him in four rounds the following September in the wake of Obando’s sudden death, which rocked Gonzalez far more than Sor Rungvisai’s fists could. “Chocolatito,” 30 at the time, seemed to be finished an elite fighter.
However, he proved everyone wrong. He took a year off, came to terms with his personal loss and won four consecutive fights, including a sensational ninth-round knockout of Khalid Yafai to win the WBA 115-pound title to regain much of the status he had lost.
The comeback was as impressive as anything he has accomplished, solidifying his place among the greatest lower-weight fighters of all time.
And now comes the rematch with Estrada. If he loses, it won’t mean much in terms of his legacy. If he wins? It would arguably be his biggest accomplishment yet given Estrada’s status but it goes back to the notion of playing with house money.
Whatever the 33-year-old achieves going forward is gravy.
“I consider myself a man who’s done the best that I could,” he said. “I had difficult times growing up but, in the end, it worked out well. Life has taught me a lot of things, and I learned. And I feel and think that I’ve already conquered many things in boxing.
“What comes now with this title is just extra. I never imagined myself getting to where I am now. But wow, it is still hard, it costs me. Because I train the right way. I do things the way they should be done. But I like it. And it’s what’s let me help my family. Help my kids. I don’t complain because I thank god for where I am now.
“Life has been hard and difficult with sacrifice. My family, my children, what makes me get up in the morning is to keep reaping victories in boxing. Not only that, but many young guys that want to be like the champ, like Chocolatito.
“But in the end, it’s what gives you your happiness in life. What you want to achieve in your life. When I retire, I will leave very satisfied and very happy to have been able to have so much success for my kids and my family, and also for the people of Nicaragua.”
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