Q & A with Roman "Chocalatito" Gonzalez

By Anson Wainwright

Hello Roman, welcome to 15rounds.com.com

Do you know when you'll next fight? When will you get a shot at WBA
champ Yutaka Niida?

Hi Anson. Thank you for allowing me to talk to you. We don't get much
attention from international web pages here in Nicaragua. Its really
refreshing to know that the international press is starting to look
closer at Nicaragua boxers.

My next fight is probably going to be June 13th in Managua against a
foreign opponent in a PRODESA box card. They are my local promoters and
quiet possibly they will put me up against a Mexican or Venezuelan
fighter.

My manger Silvio Conrado has been in talks with Mr. Akhiko Honda of
Teiken Promotions. Supposedly I should be fighting against Niida
sometime after the Olympics. I look forward to taking his belt and
becoming Nicaraguas second active World Champ. There is no way Niida is
going to beat me.

You signed with Teiken late last year and already have had four fights
with them, how has fighting for them helped you?

Teiken is my international promoter while PRODESA is my national
promoter. I am really blessed to have two top notch companies behind me.
While Mr. Honda programs my fights in Japan PRODESA always keeps me
active in Nicaragua. I have been very active because usually my fights
do not go the distance. I am 20 years old and I am already an 18 fight
veteran. My mentor Alexis Arguello thinks I can push the pace a little.

Do you still train and live in Nicaragua or do now spend most of your
time in Japan? How do you find it different?

I live in Nicaragua and love my country very much. Japan is super
beautiful. I would like to live there but have a huge responsibility
with my family. Nicaragua is super different from Japan. In Japan
everything is new and glittery. Nicaragua is very poor. I want to make
money and invest in my country to make it a better place.

My stablemate, World Champ Jose Alfaro is going to Japan for a title
fight against Yusuke Kobori. I will go with him to Japan to support him
and to train with him a couple of weeks in Japan in the Teiken Gym. I
love going there to train.

Your a big puncher stopping your first sixteen opponents however the
last two fighters have lasted the distance has this helped you gain
experience?

I hate not being able to knock people out but it has shown me the
importance of boxing and attacking continuously. My manager Mr. Conrado
and my promotor Mr. Honda both think I have a very refined technique and
that fighting distances is helping me grow as a fighter.

Who are your Boxing hero's and why?

Alexis Arguello, he is the biggest and the badest feather weight ever,
19 consecutive defenses, 3 titles, awesome stamina, and always in great
shape.

Do you know your countryman Alexis Arguello, Ricardo Mayorga, Rosendo
Alvarez, Luis Alberto Perez? If so do they offer you advice?

Alexis offers great advice. My favorite saying from him is that if you
want to eat fish you have to get your ass wet. He always says this to
make me work super hard.

Another person who gives me great advice is my team member and current
WBA lightweight champ Jose Alfaro. He is such a work horse. He leads by
example but I am going to be better than him. We have a friendly
competition.

The other guys such as Ricardo Mayorga, Rosendo and Luis are respected
fighters but they drink and are not a good example for boxers. They need
to hear advice from Alexis or Jose.

What can you tell the readers about Nicaragua for those of us who don't
know much about your country?

It is a beautiful country with great people. Its poor and has great
weather. We have made great progress but are still super far away from
reaching the levels of Japan. I am no economist this is just the sort of
stuff I hear my manager say.

What do you like to doing away from Boxing?

I like to eat and spend time with my girl friend.

Where did your nickname come from?

I got my nickname from my dad who was a boxer whose nickname was
chocolate. My nickname chocolatito means little chocolate.

Can you tell us how you got into Boxing? & how life was growing up in
Nicaragua as a child?

I am a fourth generation boxer. Various members of my family are boxers.
Alexis says that I am a natural talent. Mr. Conrado says that boxing is
in my blood. Since an early age I have always been close to the gym.

As a child life has always been hard. We are very poor. Boxing has
helped me make money to support my family. Before our house had a dirt
floor and a leaky roof, now thanks to boxing, Mr. Conrado and Mr. Honda
I have a real house for my family and my family has a better life.

What are your goals in Boxing?

Honestly my main goal in boxing is to make money for my family. I want
to be world champ and bring glory to Nicaragua but most important I want
my mother to be comfortable and to have a good life. She has worked
really hard with my dad so that we can have food on the table. That is
why I need to knock every body out because it's the only way to put food
on the table and live a better life.

Finally do you have a message for anyone or a word for your fans?

Visit Nicaragua. Thanks for all the support from all the fans and watch
out for the Chocolatito. I am going to be a champ in multiple weight
clases.

Thank you for your time Chocalatito.