By Joe Koizumi
Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Formerly four-division champ Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (48-2, 40 KOs), 115.75, decked a fine comeback after a fifteen-month hiatus when he lopsidedly battered Filipino Diomel Diocos (14-6-3, 4 KOs), 115.5, downed him to the ropes and then halted him at 2:20 of the second round beneath a world title tripleheader on Monday in Yokohama, Japan.

Gonzalez started cautiously, but soon took the initiative and accelerated his work rate, whipping the Filipino from all angles. The second saw Chocolatito land a big right to pin him to the ropes with a flurry of punches, when the referee Fukuchi took the mandatory eight count. Though it resumed, the Nicaraguan swarmed over him with the ref’s well-received intervention.

Chocolatito proudly said, “I’ll regain the world belt in 2020 and dedicate it to Nicaragua and Japan.” The 32-year-old Roman reportedly had a semi-lunar disc of the right knee injured during his morning jogging last November, but he seemed to have completely recovered in this comebacking fight. Chocolatito is willing to have a shot at the WBO 115-pound belt against Japan’s Kazuto Ioka, or at the WBA throne against Khalid Yafai—whichever may be a good matchup.

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