By James Slater: Today in Tokyo, Japan, on the Nishioka-Munroe card, Nicaraguan puncher Roman Gonzalez stole the show with a sizzling, 2nd-round stoppage of Mexico’s Francisco Rojas. Putting his former rival down three times in the 2nd-round, 23-year-old Gonzalez got the job done at the one-minute and 38-second mark. One of the best kept secrets in boxing, as well as being one of the hardest hitters in the sport, “El Chocolatito” improved to 27-0(23). He is now the interim WBA light-flyweight champion.
Rojas, who gave Gonzalez all he could handle in a Feb. 2009 meeting, where the two men fought to a close majority decision, is now 21-8-2(12). This loss marked the 30-year-old’s first stoppage defeat.
Gonzalez, based in Japan, came out fast in the opener and soon hurt Rojas with a left hand to the body. Another body shot took some wind out of Rojas and a right hand to the head stunned the Mexican. Gonzalez really was looking lethal to both body and head.
There was one moment of success for Rojas in the 2nd, when he caught Gonzalez with a sharp right hand to the head of his own. This bit of good fortune was short-lived, however, as Gonzalez came right back with a sensational combination. Body shots started Rojas’ plight, and then a blurring left uppercut, three right hand combo to the head put him down. Rojas was soon down for a second time courtesy of another fast combo, and the finish was just around the corner.
A final uppercut to the chin blasted the head of Rojas as he was stuck on the ropes, and the referee Takeshi Shimakawa immediately waved his arms.
A near-flawless showing from Gonzalez was witnessed today, and he gets especially high marks considering how tough a fight he had with Rojas last year. It just goes to show how much the 23-year-old has improved his game, and at such a young age there is surely plenty more to come from the fast, powerful and talented Nicaraguan. Gonzalez held the WBA minimum-weight title from September of 2008 to January of this year, and he now looks set to wreak havoc at 108-pounds!
The full WBA light-flyweight champion is Giovanni Segura of Mexico (who recently KO’d Ivan Calderon in that great fight back in August). Needless to say, a fight between Gonzalez and the 25-1-1(21) 28-year-old would be very interesting indeed.