What’s Next For Roman Gonzalez?

In the blink of an eye, former pound-for-pound star Roman Gonzalez was dismissed, discarded and cast aside. 

Back to back losses at the hands of Wisakil Wangek in 2017 and 2018 provided the narrative that Gonzalez was no longer a top fighter, let alone a true title contender. Coming into his contest against WBA Super Flyweight champion Khalid Yafai, at The Ford Center at the Star in Frisco Texas, Gonzalez was giving little to no shot at winning that bout. He was simply there to lose and prop up the status of the current champion.

Yet, when the opening bell rang, it turned out to be anything but that. Gonzalez routed Yafai over eight rounds before ultimately stopping him. Now that the future hall of famer has become a champion once again, who should he take on next? 

Jerwin Ancajas 

The title reign of IBF Super Flyweight champion Jerwin Ancaja has been underwhelming to say the least. When the Philippine born Ancajas (32-1-2, 22 KOs) first burst onto the scene, he was viewed as the next Manny Pacquiao. He hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype, but he is no means a bad fighter. He just hasn’t been given the chance to show what he can do on the big stage. 

Gonzalez has already gone on record stating that he wants to unify titles, so a contest between the two would make sense at this point. 

Juan Francisco Estrada 

Juan Francisco Estrada (40-3, 27 KOs) has always been considered an elite fighter. He has suffered a few bumps on the road to other elite fighters, but he has always remained in the mix. With both Estrada and Roman Gonzalez not only campaigning in the same division but also holding world titles, a contest between them seems all but inevitable. 

It wasn’t that long ago that both men shared the ring. Back in 2012 Gonzalez managed to squeak by Estrada via unanimous decision. Now however, with Estrada right in the middle of his prime and Gonzalez believed to be at the tail end of his, a rematch between them could play out much differently. 

Wisaksil Wangek

Wisaksil Wangek (47-5-1, 41 KOs) may have two wins under his belt against Gonzalez, but many believe that they still have unfinished business. 

When the two first met back in early 2017, no one believed it was going to be much of a contest. Gonzalez was simply expected to run right through his man. And truth be told, he did. Yet, the judges believed otherwise as Wangek was given the victory. In the immediate rematch Gonzalez was handed a devastating knockout loss. Technically it’s 2-0 on the scoreboard in favor of Wangek, but many believe that it should be 1-1. To officially put this rivalry to bed, they need to meet in the ring at least one more time.