By: Hans Themistode
At one point in time, Roman Gonzalez was universally viewed as the best fighter in the world.
However, no matter how long his reign on top of boxing’s Mount Everest was, the surefire future Hall of Famer was thrown from his lofty pugilistic placement following back-to-back defeats at the hands of Sor Rungvisai. Though Gonzalez was handed a highly controversial majority decision loss their first time around, Rungvisai emphatically closed the book on their rivalry by scoring a fourth-round stoppage victory over Gonzalez in their immediate rematch.
Since having the first two losses of his career saddled to his record, Gonzalez has bounced back in a major way, picking up victories in five of his last six bouts. In his lone unsuccessful ring venture during that stretch, many believed he’d done more than enough to earn the victory over Juan Franciso Estrada in 2021.
With Gonzalez seemingly returning to his pound-for-pound form, he recently revealed the key to regaining his dominant stature.
“The rest,” said Gonzalez to a group of reporters late last night. “Taking some time off to think.”
As Gonzalez eludes to, he spent just under one full year on the sidelines before making his return to the ring. Also, in addition to the rest, Gonzalez worked hard on his craft behind closed doors. Once the multiple division titlist unveiled his new self, it was clear that he was still one of the premier fighters in the world.
Recently, in an effort to continue his raise, Gonzalez was determined to prove that he is in fact, the best super flyweight in the world as he was set to take on Estrada in an immediate rematch.
Ultimately, Estrada was forced to withdraw from their contest due to COVID-19 like symptoms. In his place, Julio Cesar Martinez stepped in on relatively short notice. The two swapped fists at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California.
Before facing off, oddsmakers viewed their contest as a 50/50 affair. However, in the end, their contest was anything but. Gonzalez pummeled Martinez for much of their super flyweight showdown, resulting in a one-sided unanimous decision victory.
With boxing’s spotlight shining directly upon him, Gonzalez refused to praise his own skills, instead, he simply pointed a grateful finger toward the Heavens.
“I’m very happy and very pleased, God has given me a lot of blessings, that’s why I’m here.”