ROMAN GONZALEZ SCHOOLS JULIO CESAR MARTINEZ IN 12-ROUND MASTERCLASS

SAN DIEGO – Another chapter has been filed in the legend of Roman’ Chocolatito’ Gonzalez.

The Nicaraguan delivered yet another world-class performance as he dominated Julio Cesar Martinez in a 12-round unanimous decision victory Saturday evening at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California.

The scores were 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112 in favor of the former four-division world champion. FightNights.com had it wider, scoring it 119-109 for Gonzalez.

The one-time pound-for-pound king was initially slated to face WBA “Super” junior bantamweight world champion Juan Francisco Estrada (42-3, 28 KOs) in a highly-anticipated trilogy matchup. However, the Mexican was forced to withdraw after coming down with COVID-19 in January. Martinez, who holds the WBC flyweight title, agreed to step in on six weeks’ notice and move up two weight classes for the challenge.

Martinez failed the first test, which was to make weight for the fight. The 27-year-old came in a full two pounds over the junior bantamweight limit of 115 pounds on Friday. Martinez was allocated two hours to lose the extra weight but chose not to use the full amount and returned to the scales only to come in at 116.4 pounds, 1.4 pounds over the contracted weight limit, which temporarily jeopardized the bout of being canceled.

Per California State Athletic Commission rules, Martinez was subjected to a same-day weigh-in. He would have received a second fine if he had checked in 10 percent higher than the contracted weight limit (126.5). If Martinez were more than 15 percent above the limit (132.25), the fight would have been called off.

Thankfully for all sides involved, Martinez clocked in at 122.2 pounds to avoid an additional fine. The first fine was still bad enough, which amounted to a 20 percent forfeiture of his reported $250,000 purse, with the penalty evenly split between Gonzalez and the commission.

The 27-year-old Mexico City native took the fight to the legendary Gonzalez, who is seven years his senior, in the first round.

But from the second round on, it was not even close. Gonzalez, who remains one of the best combination punchers in boxing at the age of 34, was on cruise control for the rest of the fight.

Gonzalez ripped right hands and left hooks to the body in an entertaining third round. The pro-Martinez crowd tried their best to get their man back into the fight, and he did, albeit very briefly.

Martinez employed his jab to create some offensive opportunities for himself. Several of those shots slipped through the guard, but Gonzalez swung the tables back in his favor with a slew of punches upstairs that sent sweat flying from his adversary.

As Gonzalez boxed on his toes and pumped out the jab, Martinez, to his credit, got creative. He began switching from orthodox to southpaw to keep Gonzalez guessing. But Gonzalez was ready for it. A pair of counter left hooks and winging right hands failed to find the target.

Compubox only proved just how one-sided the fight truly was. Gonzalez landed 374 of 1,076 total punches (35 percent), including 51 percent of his power shots.

Although Martinez was taken to school, he proved he had heart and could take a punch, or hundreds, in this case. He connected with three right hands in the opening 60 seconds of the sixth, but Gonzalez snapped his head back in response and followed up with an uppercut that appeared to hurt the previously undefeated slugger.

Gonzalez never let up as the bout carried on into the eighth round. Martinez appeared discouraged as he adjusted his strategy from winning to survival. He never stopped throwing or trying to throw Gonzalez off his game, but his opponent also continued to whack him with counter shots down the middle.

Martinez spent most of the 10th frame on the ropes and taking punches from Gonzalez, who clipped him with a left hook and a right uppercut before Martinez created some space.

In the 12th and final round, Gonzalez landed at will, connecting on a fight-high 58 of 129 total punches. The only thing that kept Martinez on his feet was his immaculate bravery and chin, none of which were enough to prevent his first loss as a pro.

As for Gonzalez (51-3, 41 KOs), his guaranteed first-ballot International Boxing Hall of Fame credentials continue to get more impressive. The victory marked his first since October 2020, although he dropped a highly-controversial split decision to Estrada in their rematch last March in Dallas.

Gonzalez still has a binding contract to face Estrada for the third time. Therefore, the trilogy is likely next, barring unforeseen circumstances.

Mauricio ‘Bronco’ Lara floored Emilio Sanchez twice en route to a third-round knockout in the chief support bout.

Lara dropped Sanchez midway through the opening round and a second just before the bell to end the third round, and referee Ray Corona stopped the fight immediately at 2:59 of round three.

Sanchez put his body on the line and was willing to trade with the heavy-fisted Lara. However, he paid the ultimate price in the first round and was popped with a strong right hand that sent him to the canvas. However, Lara subsequently punched himself out, missing badly with left hooks and right hands, which allowed Sanchez to get himself back into the action only to get rocked in the final 10 seconds of the third round. The weakness was detected on Lara’s radar, and he ended the fight with a destructive left hook that put Sanchez flat on his back.

Lara is now undefeated in his last 14 appearances in the ring as he improves to 24-2-1 (17 KOs), including an upset ninth-round knockout of previously unbeaten IBF featherweight titlist Josh Warrington last February in London. Their rematch last September ended in a disappointing technical draw after two rounds when Warrington was unable to continue due to a cut over his left eye.

The loss for Sanchez (19-2, 12 KOs) snapped a four-fight winning streak. All of his losses have come by way of KO.