{"id":67770,"date":"2022-02-28T14:34:42","date_gmt":"2022-02-28T20:34:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wbcboxing.com\/cuanto-mas-pequenos-mas-fuerte-caen\/"},"modified":"2022-02-28T14:40:26","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T20:40:26","slug":"the-smaller-they-are-the-harder-they-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wbcboxing.com\/en\/the-smaller-they-are-the-harder-they-fall\/","title":{"rendered":"The smaller they are the harder they fall"},"content":{"rendered":"

The smaller they are the harder they fall<\/strong><\/h2>\n

By James Blears<\/p>\n

According to Roman \u201cChocolatito\u201d Gonzalez, who\u00b4s won world championships in four weight divisions, there are NO small opponents, and he of all people should know.<\/p>\n

On March 5th<\/sup>, at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, he\u00b4s yet again in the firing line, this time up against rough diamond, hard edged, curbstone tough WBC flyweight champion Julio Cesar Martinez, who needed no second bidding, in order to move up three pounds and take on an all -time legend.<\/p>\n

No championship belt at stake. The glittering prize is Superstar Status. Reinforcing and maintaining it, or on the other hand, the interloper\/usurper, seizing the spoils, becoming Lord of The Ring, \u00a0via\/fire hand to hand combat leading to conquest. \u00a0As Chocolatito so aptly points out, it only takes one hand to dish up and dish out a KO.<\/p>\n

Chocolatito, who\u00b4s Nicaragua\u00b4s most successful boxer, has fought his way all the way from straw weight up to super flyweight, where he now resides. Arguably at his best, when he was at light fly, Chocolatito has since beefed up to his current poundage, retaining the plain common sense sobering appreciation that the bigger they are the harder they hit. However\u2026 at this level, the little guys distinctly and distinctively pack a mule kick wallop, way harder than their poundage suggests or indicates. Mini sizzlers aren\u00b4t small fry!<\/p>\n

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Chocolatito (50-3, 41 KO\u00b4s) has fought em all. The sluggers, the head bangers, the cuties, the runners\u2026the lot. No softies included! At this level, they\u00b4re all hard men. Although not unabashed, he\u00b4s unfazed. Why should he be?<\/p>\n

His nemesis is power puncher southpaw and twice champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. The Thai dropped him with a mighty body shot in their first fight and went on to win a MD, and then KO\u00b4\u00b4d him in alarming fashion in the rematch, during a wild whirlwind fourth round. Two titanic, seismic knockdowns. Ouch!!<\/p>\n

Chocolatito then took a well- earned breather, which transformed into a longer break. A lot of pundits and fans thought, decided and concluded that this was the end of him, and they were entirely wrong! \u00a0Two mid- level comeback fights and then he blasted out Kai Yafai with a cannon shot overhead right in the ninth, to win the WBA Regular title, which positioned him nicely to fight superlative WBC champion Juan Francisco Estrada. Chocolatito lost a split decision in their mesmerizing rematch. This time around, the extra weight didn\u00b4t do him any favors, but his skill level plus sheer tenacity made it so very close.<\/p>\n

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Fully expecting and diligently training for the trilogy decider, Chocolatito was taken by surprise, yet not aback by a change of opponent, because Gallo was known to be struggling with the after effects of Covid 19.<\/p>\n

Enter the dragon, in the form of fiery, NO FEAR Julio Cesar \u201cRey\u201d Martinez (18-1, 14 KO\u00b4s, 2 no contests) the WBC flyweight monarch. A fearsome body puncher who\u00b4s particularly adept at switching upstairs to the head with mighty left hooks, Julio Cesar has leapt at the chance. Can\u00b4t wait. Not concerned about the weight!<\/p>\n

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Normally Rey is by far the shorter fighter. He stands just five feet two inches tall, with a sixty four inch reach. Chocolatito \u201cTowers over him,\u201d a full one inch taller, with exactly the same reach-span.<\/p>\n

Chocolatito\u00b4s pro debut was way back in 2005. Rey\u00b4s first pro fight in which he lost his only contest, via split decision, was mere decade later! Every punch Rey throws is a potential master blaster. As the London Evening Standard\u00b4s Late Great Boxing Correspondent Wordsmith Maestro Reg Gutteridge said of Rocky Marciano: \u201cHe heaves punches like cobblestones, but he makes every one count!\u201d<\/p>\n

Yet in his last fight against Interim WBC Champion McWilliams Arroyo, Rey got careless and was dropped hard in round one with a corker of a right hand, followed by a brush off left hook. Up he got for an eight standing count, furious with himself. Straight back into the fray landing a pile driver left hook to the jaw, which put McWilliams down even harder. The Pride of PR got up dazed and two seconds later the bell rang.<\/p>\n

A clash of heads in round two, left the Puerto Rican with two thin neat cuts over the right brow. That eye rapidly swelled shut, significantly affecting overall vision. On the advice of the Ring Doctor, the Referee who\u00b4s the sole arbiter of such matters, declared it a no contest.<\/p>\n

Both Chocolatito and Julio Cesar like to fight close in at almost toe to toe proximity. Arms\u00b4 length seems way too tame. Rey has nowhere near the experience of Roman, yet he hasn\u00b4t had to weather as many squalls and scrape off as many barnacles.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Is this the beginning of the end and retirement closing in on Chocolatito? While\u2026 is it more the end of the beginning for Rey?<\/p>\n

Rey won\u00b4t be able to get away with the magnitude of technical error he committed in his last fight. It would be punished with even more curt severity. On the other hand, Chocolatito must avoid those planted feet concrete wrecking ball punches from the younger man. Rey is still a fresh faced twenty seven. Chocolatito is eight years older and of an elder generation.<\/p>\n

Rey\u00b4s fight against McWilliams was postponed due to a hairline fracture of his right hand, which worsened in a sparring session. An affliction, not uncommon to big hitters. One time when Chocolatito was in Mexico, we shook hands and I noticed they were tiny. Almost child-like, almost bird like. \u00a0Yet the grip was rock solid firm and his knuckles were as hard as scuffed, dinted playground marbles.<\/p>\n

What has Chocolatito got left? Has the hunger been sated or is he still peckish? Is he tired? Can ravenous Rey temper and refine his instinctive aggression and fight smarter, with more latent guile, plus subtle variation of head movement in defense, proving a more elusive target, without discarding that natural ruthless streak?<\/p>\n

The way these two fight, how can it go the distance, given the level and intensity emanating from their give and take bombardment?<\/p>\n

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The smaller they are the harder they fall By James Blears According to Roman \u201cChocolatito\u201d Gonzalez, who\u00b4s won world championships in four weight divisions, there are [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n

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