Roman 'Chocolatito' Gonzalez vs. Rober Barrera: Fight date, how to watch and prediction
One of boxing’s former pound-for-pound kings, Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez (51-4, 41 KOs), will make his long-awaited return to the squared circle on July 12 when he takes on Colombian power puncher Rober Barrera (27-5, 17 KOs) in a 10-round bantamweight bout. The match will headline a card in Gonzalez’s home country of Nicaragua at the Polideportivo Alexis Arguello in Managua. The event will be shown live on streaming platform ESPN+ and will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
It’s been over 19 months since Gonzalez was last seen inside the squared circle- the longest he has spent between fights in his career. The last time Gonzalez was in the ring, he faced his rival out of Mexico, Juan Francisco Estrada, in a third encounter in December 2022. Following the pattern of their previous two fights, the trilogy match was tightly contested and action-packed. Gonzalez, however, did not have the favor of the judges, losing a majority decision to Estrada. After a slower-than-usual start, the future Hall-of-Famer, in the second half of the fight, increased the intensity and volume to almost unseat Estrada. Although Gonzalez is far from being categorized as a shot fighter, he is no longer the offensive dynamo he was in his prime.
In the form of redemption, Estrada lost against one of Gonzalez’s proteges and gym sparring partner, Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez, earlier this year. The 24-year-old Rodriguez has defeated many of Gonzalez’s rivals, including Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Carlos Cuadras. The final piece of the magnificent ‘SuperFly’ foursome for Rodriguez is a battle with Gonzalez. The two have a close relationship mimicking that of a teacher and student, leading many to believe that a fight won’t happen. But, in boxing, the most crucial factor in getting fighters in the ring is the money.
“It depends on negotiation,” Gonzalez recently stated when asked about fighting Rodriguez. “If they pay well, I will face ‘Bam’ and go all out. I still have good cartridges left.”
Gonzalez, 37, is a four-weight division champion, having held titles at strawweight, junior flyweight, flyweight, and super flyweight. By all historical standards, 37 is ancient in the lower weight classes. He could have easily retired, and no one would have protested. Instead, fans would have eagerly awaited his eventual induction into the Boxing Hall of Fame. But there are still goals for him to accomplish should he choose. In facing Barrera, Gonzalez will be fighting at the highest weight of his career, thus setting in motion an attempt to win a world title in a fight-weight class.
Only a handful of boxers have won titles in five weight classes. That group is filled with all-time greats such as Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, and Manny Pacquiao. For Gonzalez, to put his name next to the aforementioned fighters would be a significant accomplishment and firmly put him ahead of his contemporaries of his era in the lower weight classes. The current crop of champions at Bantamweight are all from Japan, with three of the four holding undefeated records. WBC titleholder Junto Nakatani is widely considered the best in the division. With the exception of Naoya Inoue, Nakatani is viewed as the best fighter from Japan and currently sits at the 10th spot on Ring Magazine’s pound-for-pound list.
Gonzalez, promoted by Japan’s Akihiko Honda, known as Mr. Honda, as part of Teiken Promotions, has fought numerous times in Japan with great success. One of Gonzalez’s most significant victories occurred in Japan when he stopped Akira Yaegashi in nine rounds to win the WBC flyweight championship. This performance helped propel Gonzalez into the pound-for-pound rankings. A championship fight in Japan could be the perfect final chapter for Gonzalez, regardless of which champion he fights, following his fight with Barrera.
Gonzalez vs. Barrera will be streamed live on ESPN + at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. ET.
Roman 'Chocolatito' Gonzalez vs. Rober Barrera prediction
Barrera holds the advantage of the unknown heading into a fight with Gonzalez. Most of Barrera’s fights have been in his native Colombia. He has come up short in his previous attempts in major fights, including world title opportunities. In fact, almost every fight outside of Columbia has seen Barrera take a loss. However, with Gonzalez coming off the longest layoff of his career and Barrera being the younger fighter, if there were ever a time for him to defeat a fighter, the caliber of Gonzalez is now.
The time off for Gonzalez may have done him more good than bad. He may have needed the time away from the sport following a loss to a rival that could have been scored his way. In his home country of Nicaragua, Gonzalez will put on a show using his volume precision punching to break down Gonzalez en route to a late-round stoppage.
Prediction: Gonzalez via late-round stoppage.