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Between 2008 and 2017, Román “Chocolatito” González amassed a legendary lower-weight championship résumé. Tonight, 32-year-old González will face Britain’s undefeated WBA super flyweight titleholder, Khalid Yafai, endeavouring to become a five-time, triple-decade world champion.

But first, here’s an in-depth look at Chocolatito’s serially underappreciated, Hall-of-Fame worthy career.

Minimumweight

Championship Record: 4-0-0 (2 KOs)

On September 15, 2008, little-known 21-year-old Nicaraguan prospect, Román González (20-0-0), challenged two-time WBA minimumweight world champion and divisional #1, Yutaka Niida (23-1-3). Despite primarily campaigning at light flyweight, González opted to embark on a world championship career at minimumweight. Chocolatito’s first and only prior fight at the weight: a routine first round knockout of four-time world title challenger, Jose Luis Varela (14-2-0). Yokohama, Japan hosted Chocolatito’s first world title challenge — Yutaka Niida’s eighth consecutive title defense — and young González delivered an impressively dominant performance.

González instantaneously applied pressure, utilising balanced, economical footwork to efficiently stalk Niida whilst inflicting a brutal, but violently beautiful, offensive assault. Chocolatito’s stark power advantage and punishing head-and-body combination punching dismantled the champion early. González became the new WBA minimumweight world champion via fourth-round technical knockout over a bloodied, swollen, broken Yutaka Niida.

Chocolatito’s masterful ability to pressure quickly and efficiently without compromising balance or structure can be attributed to technically proficient footwork. Here, Román’s able to swiftly cover ground by shuffle-stepping behind a jab, front foot positioned toward Niida’s centre, rather than leaping in and overextending.

After administering Niida’s sole career stoppage defeat and emphatically claiming a first world title, González returned to Nicaragua for an intermediate flyweight bout, before defending against tough Mexican challenger, and unexpectedly competitive opponent, Francisco Rosas (20-5-2). González, reportedly affected by a stomach problem, looked uncharacteristically sluggish and laboured to a twelve-round majority decision victory over Rosas.

González proceeded to make a second WBA minimumweight title defence against former WBC, and eventual five-time, minimumweight world champion, Katsunari Takayama (23-3-0). Takayama challenged for every major minimumweight title between 2005 and 2016, winning every belt aside from Niida and Chocolatito’s WBA strap. Fighting at the World Memorial Hall in Japan, González comprehensively outpointed Takayama in an increasingly lopsided contest.

After failing to stop both Rosas and Takayama, González returned to knockout form against overmatched Mexican challenger, Ivan Meneses Flores (14-5-1): Chocolatito’s third and final minimumweight title defence. In Flores’ hometown of Puebla, Mexico*, González dropped and stopped “Pollito”, winning via fourth-round technical knockout.

Román González subsequently vacated the WBA minimumweight title and moved back up to light flyweight: a more natural, suitable weight division for Chocolatito.

*González fought each minimumweight championship opponent in their ‘backyard’, exclusively in Japan and Mexico.

Light Flyweight

Championship Record: 5-0-0 (3 KOs)

On October 24, 2010, a 23-year-old González returned to Japan against an accustomed opponent: former minimumweight adversary, Francisco Rosas (21-7-2). Eager to compensate for an underwhelming display against Rosas a year earlier, Chocolatito delivered a more definitive performance second time around. González finalised an early, triple-knockdown blitzing with a destructive left uppercut, claiming the vacant WBA interim light flyweight title via second round knockout.

González finishing Rosas with a left hook (body)-left uppercut (head) combination.

With full WBA light flyweight champion, Juan Carlos Reveco, vacating the title and moving up in weight, the World Boxing Association promoted González to full champion in February, 2011. González, a newly crowned two-weight world champion, first defended against former world title challenger, Manuel “Chango” Vargas (29-7-1), who’d previously lost to Donnie Nietes, Nonito Donaire and Giovani Segura. Vargas wasn’t able to build upon a promising start, but performed admirably in front of a partisan Mexican crowd. Ultimately, the champion’s superior ring craft overcame the Mexican brawler’s strength and tenacity, with González taking a clear, but competitive, twelve-round decision.

González defended the WBA light flyweight title twice more in 2011, immediately returning to Mexico for a bout with native Omar Salado (22-3-2), before debuting in the U.S. against another Mexican, Omar Soto (22-8-2). Chocolatito consummately breezed past both, stopping Salado in the seventh round and annihilating an overweight Soto in the second.

After an intermediate non-title fight in Mexico, González fought top-ten ranked contender, former WBO light flyweight champion, and the first southpaw opponent of Chocolatito’s championship career, Ramón García Hirales (16-3-1). Chocolatito dominated and knocked out the taller, longer Hirales in round four, successfully defending the WBA title for the fourth and penultimate time.

Next up, Chocolatito’s toughest test to date.

Estrada

González, despite being an undefeated two-weight world champion, hadn’t yet attained an elite-level, defining victory. However, on November 17, 2012, at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Chocolatito went toe-to-toe with young Mexican prospect, Juan Francisco “Gallo” Estrada (26-1-0), claiming an impressive victory over an undeniable, albeit pre-prime, pound-for-pound talent.

Before challenging González for the WBA light flyweight strap, 22-year-old Gallo Estrada hadn’t yet won, or even competed for, a recognised world title. Despite a noteworthy absence of world championship experience, Estrada did hold an impressive tenth-round stoppage victory over Juan Carlos Sánchez Jr. up at super flyweight; Sánchez, after losing to Estrada, went on to immediately fight for, and win, the IBF super flyweight world title. It’s also worth noting that in Estrada’s following bout, after González, Gallo defeated unified WBA, WBO flyweight world champion, Brian Viloria. Crucially, Estrada put forth an enthralling, championship-worthy performance against Chocolatito.

González forthwith began patiently stalking Estrada on the front foot, with Estrada throwing in volume to dissuade the unrelenting pressure fighter. Estrada’s blistering hand speed and fluid head-and-body combination punching earned Gallo a favourable start, but Chocolatito — undeterred — stepped on the pedal.

González progressed into the fight and exponentially turned up the heat, but Estrada refused to wilt. Whenever under fierce fire, Gallo quickly responded, often with a flurry, making for an incredibly entertaining, high level, back-and-forth war. Throughout the bout, the amped-up Mexican attendance passionately cheered on their man, frequently breaking into a deafening, rhythmic chant of “Mexico! Mexico! Mexico!”. Chocolatito’s faithful support responded with intense booing in an attempt to drown out the overwhelming, nationalistic Mexican crowd.

In spite of the brutality and pace of the fight, neither man decelerated, instead displaying herculean endurance and durability, on top of an exhibition of offensive creativity. At the sound of the final bell, González and Estrada both thought they’d done enough for victory, but although the fight remained nip and tuck from start to finish, Chocolatito unanimously took the official decision (118-110, 116-112 x 2). Outpointing Estrada cemented Chocolatito’s position at the top of the division: the #1 light flyweight in the world, then 34-0-0.

Head positioned off-centre when mounting an attack, Chocolatito successfully punched with Estrada by slipping and landing simultaneously.

González so often utilised a lateral L-step, changing direction and keeping Estrada under constant pressure by quickly cutting off an exit route.

Estrada, after evading a 1-2, isn’t given time or space to circle away. Chocolatito shifted straight into another combination, remaining balanced, and dug into Estrada’s body.

González, fighting at close range, pivoted and side-stepped around Estrada to switch up the angle for an offensive opening, manoeuvring Estrada into a left hook to the body. Moreover, Chocolatito both offensively capitalised on a newfound angle and craftily eliminated Estrada’s right hand by positioning himself around Gallo’s left shoulder.

Chocolatito smoothly transitioning between defense and offense.

For a quintessential pressure fighter, Chocolatito showed exceptional “aggressive defense” by riding, slipping, catching and parrying at close range, constantly utilising upper-body movement. Taking the sting out of oncoming fire meant González would seldom get knocked off-balance.

Flyweight

Championship Record: 5-0-0 (4 KOs)

After battling for victory against Juan Francisco Estrada, González vacated the WBA light flyweight world title and moved up in weight. First fighting in Nicaragua at super flyweight against Colombian veteran, Ronald Barrera (30-11-2), González then settled for an extended period at flyweight. Chocolatito’s first notable win at flyweight came in September of 2013 against a young Francisco Rodríguez Jr. (14-1-0), who went on to become the unified IBF, WBO minimumweight champion only a year later — beating former Chocolatito victim, Katsunari Takayama. González won every round before stopping the 20-year-old in the seventh. Román then defeated Oscar Blanquet (32-6-1) — who had unsuccessfully challenged WBC flyweight world champion, Akira Yaegashi, earlier that year — Juan Kantun (21-5-3), and Juan Purisima (11-4-1), all by technical knockout.

Chocolatito’s stoppage streak at flyweight earned himself a shot at becoming Nicaragua’s second triple-weight world champion, equalling the late, great Alexis Argüello’s feat. On September 5, 2014, Akira Yaegashi (20-3-0) — at the time, the reigning WBC, The Ring, and lineal flyweight world champion — defended against González in Tokyo, Japan. Fighting in Japan for the sixth time, González flawlessly took apart the hardened 31-year-old Japanese veteran. Chocolatito controlled the action from start to finish, taking the centre of the ring and menacingly hunting Yaegashi. González drove Yaegashi back and peppered the champion’s head and body, and scored a third round knockdown via a perfectly timed counter-left hook. Though facing a devastating pound-for-pound puncher, Yaegashi relished pugilistic warfare and put forth a gutsy battle. In Round 5, the Japanese warrior managed to temporarily deter Chocolatito’s attack, but couldn’t sustain the intense output. Chocolatito continued to rain fire on Yaegashi, and the champion — swollen-eyed and drained — couldn’t hang on for much longer. In the ninth round, González piled on the pressure and downed Yaegashi with a five-punch combination. Referee Michael Griffin sympathetically called off the contest, and Román González, knowing he’d equalled Argüello’s record, became instantly overcome with emotion. Progressing to 40-0-0 (34 KOs), Chocolatito became a fixture on boxing’s mythical pound-for-pound list after wrecking the #1 flyweight in the world.

Chocolatito catching Yaegashi’s lead and instantaneously countering with a left hook, scoring the knockdown in the third.

Here’s the five-piece finish. Subtly stepping back when shoulder-to-shoulder, González opened up Yaegashi for the left uppercut, which, by lifting Yaegashi’s head, facilitated the follow-up right hand. Impeccably, Chocolatito remained balanced and maximised punching leverage with precise footwork at close range.

Chocolatito’s first flyweight defense took place later in 2014, back in Japan, against Filipino veteran, Rocky Fuentes (33-7-2). Fuentes came into the bout off the back of an unsuccessful title challenge for the vacant IBF flyweight strap against Thailand’s Amnat Ruenroeng. Previously going 12 with Ruenroeng, Fuentes didn’t last long against boxing’s premier pressure fighter. González dropped and stopped Fuentes in the sixth round, retaining the WBC flyweight title via technical knockout. For the first time since May of 2013, González then fought above the flyweight limit, in a non-title bout back home in Managua, Nicaragua. After comfortably stopping the keep-busy opponent, Valentin Leon (29-29-3), González returned to flyweight to defend the WBC crown.

Already arguably the best boxer on the planet, Chocolatito finally broke into mainstream recognition after signing a network deal with HBO in 2015. On May 16, 2015, González debuted on HBO against former WBC light flyweight world champion, 35-year-old Mexican, Édgar Sosa (51-8-0), at The Forum in Inglewood, California. For the first time, but not the last, Román González featured on the undercard of Kazakh superstar, Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin, co-main event to Golovkin’s middleweight title defense against Willie Monroe Jr. González cut through Sosa in the second round, and after putting Sosa down for a third time, referee Raul Caiz Sr. waved off the fight. Chocolatito’s demolition job on Sosa perfectly introduced the champion’s power-punching ferocity to HBO’s mainstream boxing audience.

Gonzalez, now the #1 pound-for-pound boxer in the world, proceeded to perform in Golovkin’s shadow on HBO. Make no mistake, however, Chocolatito should be considered both more talented and more accomplished than GGG.

Later that year, on the undercard of the middleweight unification bout between Gennadiy Golovkin and David Lemieux, González made a third defense of the WBC flyweight title against two-time light flyweight, and former unified WBO, WBA flyweight, world champion, Brian Viloria (36-4-0). 35-year-old Viloria hadn’t held a world title since dropping a split decision to Juan Francisco Estrada back in 2013, but presented, on paper, Chocolatito’s toughest fight since Yaegashi. Viloria started well before Chocolatito picked up the pace and pushed the Hawaiian back. González knocked down Viloria with a short right-hand in the third round — the first knockdown of Viloria’s career, amateur or professional. Viloria came back swinging and returned fire, but Chocolatito continued to pressure the challenger into breaking. Viloria diminished whilst González accelerated and continued piling on the punishment. In Round 9, Viloria — still taking a beating — attempted one final stand, briefly hurting González with a body shot. After a short recovery period of not throwing, González mercilessly unloaded on Viloria, forcing referee Benjy Esteves to jump in and save the ex-champion from further damage.

González simultaneously catching Viloria’s right hook and landing a short counter right-hand.

Chocolatito’s ten-fight stoppage streak ended in 2016 against 2009 amateur boxing world champion, and former world title challenger, McWilliams Arroyo (16-2-0). Arroyo had previously lost a split decision to IBF world flyweight champion, Amnat Ruenroeng. Returning to The Forum in Inglewood, California on a co-feature of the world middleweight title bout between Gennadiy Golovkin and Dominic Wade, González made a final flyweight title defense before moving up to super flyweight. González credited Arroyo with being tough and hard to catch clean, but ultimately outclassed the hard-hitting Puerto Rican over the distance, winning via wide UD (120-108 x 2, 119-109).

Román González proceeded to move up to super flyweight — seeking to become Nicaragua’s first four-weight world champion — and eventually vacated the WBC flyweight title in favour of fighting at 115.

Super Flyweight

Championship Record: 1-2-0 (0 KOs)

Don’t be fooled by the seemingly unimpressive 1-2-0 championship record; past-prime Román González displayed the true heart of a champion at super flyweight. On September 10, 2016, González challenged undefeated WBC super flyweight world champion, Mexico’s Carlos Cuadras (35-0-1), at The Forum in Inglewood. With Golovkin fighting in the UK against Britain’s Kell Brook that weekend, Chocolatito headlined an HBO card for the first time, drawing a crowd of 6,714 and an average viewership of 843,000. Cuadras had won the super flyweight title in 2014 against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai — remember the name — via eighth-round technical decision. Cuadras’ seventh defense would be the champion’s last, battling hard in a losing effort against González, but presented Chocolatito’s toughest fight since Estrada. González — cut up, swollen and fighting at an unnatural weight — narrowly outworked and outfought Cuadras in a close, competitive, brutal slugfest. Cuadras’ poor punching form allowed González to get the better of the infighting with crafty counter and combination punching. Even though Román defeated a credible champion to win a world title in a fourth weight division, and remained boxing’s #1 fighter, the Nicaraguan appeared to have lost a step since ‘prime Chocolatito’.

Chocolatito’s offensive fighting style and habit of fluctuating in weight weren’t a recipe for longevity, and the undersized 29-year-old super flyweight met an indomitable 115lb monster in March, 2017.

Sor Rungvisai I

On March 18, 2017, Gennadiy Golovkin defended the WBC, WBA, IBF unified middleweight championship of the world on HBO PPV against top 3 ranked middleweight, Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs. On the undercard, Madison Square Garden, New York witnessed arguably the greatest super flyweight fight in boxing history.

Román González (46-0-0) squared off with mandatory challenger, and former WBC super flyweight champion, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (42-4-1). It’s worth noting that, in November, 2016, González lost long-time trainer, Arnulfo Obando, when the latter suffered a fatal stroke. Chocolatito’s father, Luis González, trained the champion for the Sor Rungvisai fight. Rungvisai had previously stopped Yota Sato and José Salgado in devastating fashion, and had solely been defeated by Carlos Cuadras since 2010, but González represented a huge step-up in competition for the Thai southpaw.

On fight night, González got off to the worst possible start: dropped by a body shot — assisted by Srisaket’s head — in the first and cut over the right eye by a head clash in the third. Srisaket’s brute strength and punching power forced González through hell and back to survive. González battled on, with sheer volume and heart keeping the champion in the fight. Chocolatito’s superior speed, ring craft, and counter punching ability showed throughout, but the unstoppable force’s incessant aggression couldn’t dissuade the immovable object. In the sixth round, Srisaket eventually lost a point for headbutting, cancelling out the extra point for the knockdown earlier in the fight. Physically overmatched and drenched in blood, González emptied the tank in the final round, displaying astonishing championship mettle. González outworked Srisaket for the majority of the fight — out-landing the challenger 441-284 — but the Thai destroyer seemed to inflict the more effective damage.

After a close, hard-fought battle at the top of the sport, González’s 46-fight undefeated streak came to a controversial end. Waleska Roldan scored the fight 113-113 even, whilst Glenn Feldman and Julie Lederman both scored it 114-112 in favour of Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, much to the dismay of the booing crowd. Srisaket didn’t simply win the WBC super flyweight title; he beat the prime out of an all-time great champion. González lost the title, the undefeated record, and the pound-for-pound throne, and immediately demanded a rematch.

“Taking the sting out of oncoming fire meant González would seldom get knocked off-balance.”

That wasn’t the case against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. Even without landing clean, Srisaket’s brute force could knock González off-balance, compromising Chocolatito’s “aggressive defense”.

Chocolatito knocked down by a short right hook to the body in round one. Chocolatito hadn’t been officially knocked down since 2006.

Subtle defense and superior counter punching at close range from Chocolatito.

González utilising upper-body movement after throwing a punch to proactively avoid Srisaket’s counter. By fusing defense and offense, Chocolatito’s not an archetypal pressure fighter.

Sor Rungvisai II

After suffering a first career defeat against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, González opted for a rematch. On September 9, 2017, at the StubHub Center in Carson, California, the rematch headlined a ‘Superfly’ card, also featuring a WBC final eliminator between Juan Francisco Estrada and Carlos Cuadras, and Naoya Inoue defending the WBO super flyweight title against Antonio Nieves.

González started tentatively, with Srisaket confidently winning the opening round, but Chocolatito warmed up and the two resumed the toe-to-toe action of their first bloody encounter. Srisaket’s body work clearly unsettled the Nicaraguan in the second round, and the champion continued to relentlessly pummel the faded legend. In the fourth round, Srisaket timed and heavily dropped González with a short right hand. Like a champion, González got up and fought on, but couldn’t survive for much longer, and Srisaket came in for the finish. Chocolatito managed to briefly withstand Srisaket’s fire, before the Thai champion hospitalised González with a counter right hook. González couldn’t get up, and referee Thomas Taylor immediately waved off the fight.

The end of an era.

Chocolatito’s world championship record: 15-2-0 (9 KOs).

A legendary sub-bantamweight fighter, who didn’t receive mainstream recognition until the end of an exceptional four-weight championship career, Román González — the protégé of Alexis Argüello — beat an array of minimumweight, light flyweight, flyweight and super flyweight talent during a decade at the pinnacle of the sport.

Tonight, having fought just twice since losing to Srisaket, Chocolatito will return to championship boxing. But will Román González become a 5-time world champion, or did Srisaket remove everything the legend had left?

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