Roman ‘chocolatitobox’ Gonzalez will attempt to further his legacy Saturday, when he takes on Juan Francisco Estrada in the third installment of one of boxing’s best rivalries:
GLENDALE, Ariz.—In a quiet ballroom, with a handful of cameramen still packing up equipment around him, Roman Gonzalez slouches in a straight back chair. This is the side of Gonzalez rarely seen. Quiet. Contemplative. Emotional, even. In the ring, Gonzalez—better known in boxing as Chocolatito—remains one of the sport’s fiercest warriors, an indefatigable puncher with head-snapping power. Outside, he is reserved, not uncomfortable with the spotlight as much as he is indifferent to it.
At 35, Gonzalez’s legacy is secure. He will go down as one of the greatest small fighters ever, sharing a small circle with the likes of Ricardo Lopez and Ivan Calderon. He will fight for a 115-pound title Saturday, but he has held plenty of them. He used to fill milk bags with sand and hang them from a guava tree in Nicaragua to train for fights he was lucky to collect a few hundred dollars for.
“Honestly I'm more motivated than ever,” says Gonzalez. “I have a beautiful family. I have kids. My wife, she's a motivation. And I keep looking for more achievements.” On Saturday, Gonzalez will look to bring that beast out again. There’s no bad blood between Gonzalez and Estrada. Just the opposite. Earlier this year the two spent time together in Nicaragua. “I like to have friends,” says Gonzalez. Estrada, a longtime rival, readily admits that Gonzalez is the best smaller fighter of this generation. “In the ring, I'd say he's my enemy,” Estrada said.
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