Can’t-Miss Fight Pits Gonzalez vs Martinez

• Weight Class: Super Flyweight (115 lbs)
• Rounds: 12 (Main Event)
• Moneyline: Julio Cesar Martinez +115, Roman Gonzalez -145

At his prime, Gonzalez was mentioned in the same breath as Canelo Alvarez as the pound-for-pound kings. But he is on the downswing of his career and is ripe for picking by a young and hungry contender like Martinez. That is what the online gambling odds are making it appear. This is a mistake as Chocolatito has plenty left in the tank.

Martinez May Pay for Mistakes

Martinez is a true-blooded Mexican warrior. This man will march his opponents down and eat as many punches as he can to dish out his own. The name of the game is “offense” for Martinez (18-1-0 (2 NC), 14 KOs), whose fan-friendly style has, so far, produced great results.

Martinez is the reigning WBC flyweight champion but will be stepping up to take on the legend, Gonzalez, as a short-notice replacement for Juan Francisco Estrada. Gonzalez will not only be fighting a bigger boxer but a highly experienced one who can hit just as hard, if not harder.

Like Martinez, Gonzalez is an action fighter. And he was highly successful in his style until he “got caught.” Ever since, Chocolatito hasn’t been the same. Martinez is only 27 years old but has taken quite a bit of damage already. Still, as an underdog, Martinez could be a shrewd bet online as he may be packing more heat than his older opponent.

One Last Rodeo for Chocolatito

At 34 years old in the 115-pound and under division, Roman Gonzalez may as well be 40. With diminished reflexes, Gonzalez will get beaten to the punch and sometimes that’s all it takes to beat the other boxer. But, everything else checks out for the future Hall of Famer.

Gonzalez can still crack and his skills are still intact. He will make short work of lesser opponents and even ones within his tier if he catches them making a mistake. The issue becomes if his body can hold up long enough for him to punish his opponents.

Don’t miss the chance to watch Roman Gonzalez tomorrow. At 33 he’s coming to the end of his career. He’s an all time great and arguably the only fighter in boxing with a better punch variety than Canelo. Enjoy! #GonzalezEstrada pic.twitter.com/lMeGBULzKq

— Boxing Kingdom (@BoxingKingdom14) March 13, 2021

Despite his 41 KOs, Gonzalez is the type of boxer who finishes opponents with volume. Most of his knockouts are TKOs and, while he’s failed to finish five of his last eight opponents, foes who stand toe-to-toe will get burned.

Gonzalez vs Martinez: Who Wins?

We can’t fault anyone taking a dog shot on Martinez. With 12 rounds, Martinez has plenty of time to land a punch that will flatten Gonzalez. His chin is not what it used to be and Martinez is arguably the hardest puncher in these small weight divisions. However, skill-for-skill, Gonzalez is far superior to Martinez.

Gonzalez is coming off a loss to Estrada but he is a much savvier and defensive opponent than Martinez. We’re not calling the new opponent a meathead, but he still has plenty of holes in his game, namely his lack of head movement and flat-footedness. Fighting Chocolatito like that is like offering your head on a platter, and the living legend will gladly feast.

Pick: Roman Gonzalez -145