Chocolatito Is Better than Unification for Bam Rodriguez’s Legacy
There are two options that the camp of reigning WBC junior bantamweight champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (21-0, 14 KOs) is entertaining. One is to go for unification at 115. The other is a battle with four-division world champion and future Hall of Famer Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (52-4, 42 KOs). At this point in Bam’s career, he should seek a fight with Gonzalez.
Rodriguez retained the WBC title with a third-round stoppage over mandatory challenger Pedro Guevara on November 9 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Fighting on the undercard of the rematch between Jaron Ennis and Karen Chukhadzhian, Bam dazzled the crowd with his combination of skill and punching power. Afterward, the native of San Antonio, Texas said the following about the prospect of a match with Chocolatito:
“I’m ready for it. If the unifications don’t come, why not? . . . That would be badass.”
DOING WHAT MAKES SENSE
Every champion wants the opportunity to unify. However, in this instance, context is critical. The other world champions at 115 are WBA belt-holder Fernando Martinez and Phumelele Cafu, who holds the WBO title. Would wins over Martinez and Cafu bring Rodriguez the notoriety and dollars he would receive for fighting Gonzalez? No, it would not.
It wasn’t that long ago that the thought of a Jesse Rodriguez vs Roman Gonzalez battle was a non-starter. Both fighters are co-promoted by Akihiko Honda, who resists fighters from his stable facing one another. Also, Gonzalez was not keen on fighting someone he viewed as a protege. That has changed. Over the last few months, Chocolatito has had a change of heart and is now open to fighting Bam. Honda would also relent against his stance if the dollars were right.
Gonzalez is a modern-day legend and is still a big draw in boxing’s lower-weight divisions. At age 37, some boxing pundits believe that Chocolatito is a better fighter than Martinez and Cafu. A four-division champion and future Hall of Famer, he returned from a 19-month layoff to score a tenth-round stoppage over Yober Orgeta in July 2024.
Unification would be a nice addition to Bam’s boxing catalog. A win over Gonzalez moves him one step closer to stardom. It should be an easy call if Team Rodriguez cares about legacy and finances.
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