Roman Gonzalez ends absence with Rober Barrera’s retirement

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez triumphed in his long-awaited return to his home arena, defeating Rober Barrera in a tenth-round stoppage. Gonzalez, who had been out of action for nearly two years, demonstrated his unwavering skill and resilience despite facing a formidable opponent in Barrera.Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez triumphed in his long-awaited return to his home arena, defeating Rober Barrera in a tenth-round stoppage. Gonzalez, who had been out of action for nearly two years, demonstrated his unwavering skill and resilience despite facing a formidable opponent in Barrera. Despite Barrera’s early success, Gonzalez unleashed a barrage of attacks that overwhelmed his opponent. The relentless onslaught culminated in Barrera being grounded twice before the fight was finally halted in the tenth round. Although Barrera was not a top-tier contender, Gonzalez’s performance was impressive considering his age, weight, and extensive fighting experience. His signature combinations were still a sight to behold, showcasing his exceptional technical ability. Post-fight speculation suggests that Gonzalez may be targeting a title fight against Japanese bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani or WBO super flyweight champion Kosei Tanaka. Both options would present exciting challenges for Gonzalez, who has repeatedly expressed his desire to add another title to his legacy. Additionally, rumors have emerged that Gonzalez could potentially face fellow legend Nonito Donaire in the near future. While nothing has been officially confirmed, such a match-up would undoubtedly be a memorable clash between two of the greatest fighters of their generation.

Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez’s first home match since 2015 proved to be a triumphant one last night as he defeated Colombia’s Rober Barrera en route to a tenth-round stoppage.

Gonzalez (52-4, 42 KO) entered the ring fresh from a 19-month layoff dating back to a majority decision loss to Juan Francisco Estrada in their rubber match. Barrera (27-6, 17 KO) took advantage of his rust to land some solid punches in the opening rounds, but once Gonzalez got going, there was no stopping him. The 37-year-old’s avalanche of attacks turned the second half of the fight into an absolute punishing one, with Barrera being grounded in the eighth and ninth inning before the bloodthirsty referee finally saved him in the final round.

He was clearly up against a low-level opponent, but for a 37-year-old at a lower weight with nearly 60 fights under his belt and an all-action style that should have produced alarming levels of wear and tear, Gonzalez looked pretty good. Those non-stop combinations of his are still a sight to behold, lacking the truly vicious snap of his prime, but still beautifully executed.

Previous reports suggested that Gonzalez was targeting a year-end title fight against the Japanese bantamweight hegemon. Junto Nakatani is scheduled to fight Vincent Astrolabio next week, while Takuma Inoue and Yoshiki Takei are reportedly preparing to face Seiya Tsutsumi and Daigo Higa, respectively. That leaves the capable but light-punching Ryosuke Nishida, who could provide a quality fight with Gonzalez.

That said, Levi Luna claims that Gonzalez now has his eye on WBO super flyweight champion Kosei Tanaka, who will take on “Titan” Rodriguez on that same Nakatani vs. Astrolabio show. That would be a fight and a half, and if Tanaka doesn’t meet Fernando Martinez in a unification, I’m 100% for it.

There are also rumors that Gonzalez will meet up with fellow legend Nonito Donaire in the coming months, but nothing is official yet.