By: Sean Crose
It was extensively agreed that, at 37 years of age, Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez was previous his prime when he stepped into the ring in his native Nicaragua on Friday evening. The 4 division champion was in the hunt for additional glory, this time within the bantamweight division, as he hoped earn himself a shot at a shocking fifth world title. First, nonetheless, the 51-4 Gonzalez must get previous the 27-5 Rober Barrera in a scheduled 10 rounder at Managua’s Polideportivo Alexis Arguello.
Gonzalez pressed the motion immediately within the first, but it surely was made instantly clear that Barrera had come to combat, as he fired and landed with each fingers. Barrera didn’t look like as robust as Gonzalez was, nonetheless. By the second, it regarded just like the combat wouldn’t go the gap, as Gonzalez, shifting ahead in his traditional type, landed and landed laborious. Certainly, he started piling the punches on Barrera because the spherical went on.
Gonzalez landed laborious within the first minute of the third. His relentless assault was turning out to be an excessive amount of for the gutsy Barrera, who continued to offer it his all by firing away at his legendary foe. Because the spherical wore on, the query seemed to be whether or not or not Gonzalez’ stoppage energy would carry as much as bantamweight, as he was making his divisional debut, up from tremendous flyweight.
Issues slowed down a bit within the fourth, although Gonzalez continued to stalk his man. The motion needed to cease early within the fifth for Gonzalez to get extra tape on his gloves. Barrera turned aggressive afterward, and Gonzalez answered in form. Barrera went down from a slip, however the truth that it was a slip didn’t take away from the reality – Gonzalez was beating him up.
Certainly, Gonzalez turned up the warmth within the sixth. Barrera was throwing, however not successfully. To his credit score, nonetheless, Barrera saved preventing – although he was repeatedly receiving head photographs. Certain sufficient, it regarded like Gonzalez may need been on the verge of stopping Barrera within the seventh. As soon as once more, nonetheless, Barrera was in a position to survive the spherical. He may need been shedding in a single sided style, however nobody might argue towards the person’s grind and braveness.
Within the eighth, Barrera lastly went down. He beat the rely, and survived the spherical, but it surely was value questioning why the combat was being allowed to proceed. A sequence of punches put Barrera down for the second time within the first minute of the ninth. He obtained to his ft as soon as extra, but it surely was time for the combat to be stopped. And certainly the combat was put to an finish by the referee earlier than the ultimate bell within the tenth.
Though it was too early to inform how Gonzalez would fare at bantamweight, it was clear the enduring fighter nonetheless had sufficient in him to impress.
