What if.

That phrase really gets you to think about certain characteristics from a historical perspective, including the sport of boxing. This would apply to the career of Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez.

What if Gonzalez continued down the path of becoming a standout soccer player in Nicaragua, instead of literally being thrown into a boxing ring by his father when he was a child?

What if Gonzalez called it a career after getting brutally knocked out by Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in September 2017?

What if Gonzalez had heard the naysayers who said he would not be able to defeat then-unbeaten Khalid Yafai two years ago?

Gonzalez can retire anytime he wants. He can call it a day. He could have even said no to fighting WBC flyweight titleholder Julio Cesar Martinez after original opponent Juan Francisco Estrada backed out of their rubber match due to testing positive for COVID-19. Instead, he will lace up the gloves again and step inside the ring Saturday night against Martinez at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California (DAZN, 8:30 p.m. ET/ 5:30 p.m. PT). 

Would boxing fans expect anything else? 

Gonzalez (50-3, 41 knockouts) did not hesitate in taking the fight against Martinez. Rather than postpone the card and wait for Estrada to get better weeks later, Gonzalez did not have a problem accepting the fight against the younger Martinez, who also throws a high-volume of punches as Gonzalez.

But this is who Gonzalez is. The 34-year-old has never been one to make excuses. Never been one to ask for special accommodations. Never been one to think he is more than what he is. 

And who is Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez? He grew up poor and humble in Managua, Nicaragua’s capital. His passion for boxing did not come until his father introduced him to the sport as a child. He loved it that he returned to the gym, putting his soccer cleats away for good.

Gonzalez's father currently trains him, alongside Marcos Caballero.

What started as a hobby grew into becoming an amateur standout, meeting the great Alexis Arguello, then turning pro two weeks after his 18th birthday. 

Then came winning multiple world title belts in four different weight classes, signing a promotional deal with Teiken Promotions, all while fighting at small casinos in Nicaragua or at small gymnasiums in Japan. 

Then came the opportunity to fight on HBO, long overdue after fighting on regional networks or on Mexico’s Azteca TV. While Gonzalez was still at the top of his game, it would have been something to watch Gonzalez as he was fighting near the peak of his career.

As Gonzalez carved out a successful career, eventually landing at 115 pounds, even winning the WBC world title over Carlos Cuadras in September 2016, Gonzalez mantra was still the same: Discipline, eat right, train, and stay humble. In no particular order.

“To reach the top, you need discipline, to take care of yourself, listen to your team, run every day, diet, have an important goal, which is to be a world champion,” said Gonzalez in an interview with Under The Hand Wraps. 

Pretty simple, huh? Then again, few fighters live by this adage. 

Then Gonzalez ran into the two fights against Sor Rungvisai in 2017, the latter being the devastating knockout loss. It looked like Gonzalez was done. Literally done with boxing. No way would he not fight for a world title, let alone fight again. 

But he did. Fighting his way to his world title opportunity against Yafai. Gonzalez may have looked a step slower, maybe he had to pace himself more, but the vintage combinations, accuracy, and ring generalship was there, leading to a knockout win over Yafai, winning the WBA 115-pound title.

“When someone has a mission of again becoming a world champion, you do everything possible in the gym,” said Gonzalez. “(You) do great work with the team, and that’s what happened on that night of the fight.

“It was normal hearing the people’s commentary (that I would lose to Yafai). But in the end, one knows the job that needs to be done in the gym and demonstrates it the day of the fight.”

Then came the rematch against Estrada on March 13 of last year. It was a brutal back-and-forth clash between the two that many thought Gonzalez did enough to win, but Estrada won by split-decision. The WBC ordered an immediate rematch between the two.

The rubber match between Gonzalez and Estrada is still very appealing, but based on their styles, the Gonzalez-Martinez bout is eagerly anticipated by those who will watch in person at Pechanga Arena in San Diego or on DAZN.

Gonzalez does not need to appease fight fans as to whom he should face, but that is not who he is. In fact, he could retire after the Martinez fight. He does not have anything else to prove and is a first-ballot inductee when he is up for being elected into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. 

Instead, there is that inner drive inside of him that wants to continue fighting. Could retirement come after the rubber match against Estrada? Possibly. Could it be after he avenges the two losses against Sor Rungvisai? Maybe. Whenever he decides to retire, he will be at peace with his decision. 

“When I retire, I want to enjoy it with my kids (three children) and enjoy everything I have been blessed with. If possible, I want to help the youth who want to succeed and I have plans for my kids and family. I’m grateful to God for putting me where I’m at.

“No, I will not be sad when I retire.”

So, enjoy ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez while he still wants to lace up the gloves. Enjoy his presence and humbleness that makes him unique, aside from being gifted into the ring. Where he is at now in his life can be attributed to the choices he has made over the last several years.

Again, what if.

Francisco A. Salazar has written for BoxingScene since September 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (California) Star newspaper. He can be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing