Gonzalez vs. Rungvisai II: Round-by-Round Prediction

Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez lost a highly disputed majority decision to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai on the undercard of the Gennady Golovkin vs. Daniel Jacobs fight in March. Now, he looks to get revenge tonight at StubHub Center in Carson, California.

Gonzalez (46-1, 38 KO’s), of Nicaraqua, was considered to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport prior to the controversial loss. Although many called it a robbery, it was a hard-fought bout that was tough to score in some aspects. For instance, Gonzalez was dropped in the first round by a body shot and bloodied by repeated head-butts, which could have swayed judges to give more rounds to Rungvisai.

Rungvisai (43-4-1, 39 KO’s), of Thailand, is 15-0 with 14 KO’s since losing a technical decision to former WBC super flyweight world champion Carlos Cuadras. His sheer aggression and power proved to be problematic for Gonzalez in their first encounter and he will look to do it again. Can he repeat? Here’s a condensed round-by-round.

Round 1

‘Chocolatito’ is more cagey than usual and fighting smarter. He is out-boxing Rungvisai from the outside and very accurate.

Winner: Gonzalez 10-9

Round 2:

Close round. Fighters go back to their normal routine of trading shots in the center of the ring and it’s a real dog fight.

Winner: Rungvisai 19-19

Round 3

Combinations from Gonzalez hurt Rungvisai, who continues to come forward. The challenger continues to punish the champion to the head and body with a relentless attack.

Winner: Gonzalez 29-28

Round 4

Not much in this round. Both fighters take a breather.

Winner: Rungvisai 38-38

Round 5

Gonzalez punishes Rungvisai with a series of blows – some of them low. However, in close quarter fighting, it can be difficult for the referee to catch it. This is a clear Gonzalez round.

Winner: Gonzalez 48-47

Round 6

More of the same in the sixth as Gonzalez continues to outsmart Rungvisai, who is having to resort to head hunting to get back into the fight.

Winner: Gonzalez 58-56

Round 7

Rungvisai catches a second wind and mauls Gonzalez in the seventh round with a hard right hand and an uppercut on the inside – potentially a ‘Round of the Year’ moment as both warriors lay everything out on the line.

Winner: Rungvisai 67-66

Round 8

Another hellacious round as both men whack each other back and forth. Gonzalez connecting more violently to the body this round than in previous rounds. Swelling developing around the eyes of both fighters, but they keep on punching. Very close round.

Winner: Rungvisai 76-76

Round 9

Gonzalez drops Rungvisai.

Winner: Gonzalez 86-84

Round 10

The body punches have taken a toll on Rungvisai and he is overwhelmed by a barrage of blows that send him down again. The referee stops the bout.

Winner: Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez by 10th round TKO