If being the best boxer was only about power and ferocity, then Ike Ibeabuchi or Mike Tyson would be considered pound for pound greats.
The reality is the best boxers across ages and weight classes have a combination of skill, tenacity, and guile.
Naoya “Monster” Inoue is one of the world’s best pound-for-pound fighters.
Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez and Naoya “Monster” Inoue personify these traits.
Both men are coming off phenomenal performances in 2016. Their rise as champions has been remarkable as well.
At just 29 years old Chocolatito has racked up 46 wins, with 38 KOs. From Managua, Nicaragua Chocolatito counts the late great Alexis Arguello as his mentor and hero. Arguello himself was a three-division champion in an age before “super” and “regular” titles.
I the beginning Chocolatito would embark on a mission to Japan to challenge Yutaka Niiada for the WBA Minimumweight title. He stopped Niiada in the 4th round by TKO on September 15, 2008. He would defend that title three times against the best available competition.
Two years later in October 2010 he crushed Francisco Rosas by KO in just the second round on enemy soil in Mexico to win the WBA interim Light Flyweight championship. He would defend that title five times before moving up in weight for a third title. Chocolatito KO’d Stiven Monterossa in the third round of their tilt October 6, 2012, and proved that his power did indeed follow him up to his third weight division.
Once again on the road, Chocolatito arrived in the Land of the Rising Sun to battle Akira Yaegashi. A 20-3 professional. Akira San was also knocked out. With that win, Chocolatito equaled the Nicaraguan icon Alexis Arguello and became a three-division champion claiming the WBC, Ring and Lineal title belt September 5, 2014.
Chocolatito defended that title five times including against the tough McWilliams Arroyo in a co-feature on the GGG/Wade card April 2016. Arroyo gave Chocolatito some problems but lost by unanimous decision. Arroyo is most notable for breaking Chocolatito’s streak of 10 straight knockouts!
Boxing fans, pundits and yours truly were salivating at the possibility of Chocolatito moving up again, this time to the 115-pound Super Flyweight division a full ten pounds heavier then where he started. It cannot be stressed that Chocolatito Gonzalez has not had a single easy fight on his way up and standing between him and a FOURTH divisional title was Carlos “The Prince” Cuadras, a full-fledged Super Flyweight with an undefeated record of 46-0.
This was a brilliant fight and truly one of the best fights of 2016. Though it was close, Cuadras was bullied by the relatively diminutive 5’3” Nicaraguan for the first half of the fight. The middle rounds were tight with Cuadras’ slick hands and body work being his best weapons. In the end, Chocolatito became a four-division champion taking the Super Flyweight strap September 10, 2016.
After the fight while interviewed by HBO’s Max Kellerman the humble champion said “this victory is for the public of Nicaragua. For my family and foremost for God.” Truly his mentor Alexis Arguello would be proud.
Chocolatito would suffer heart break just two months later when his long-time trainer Arnulfo Obando suffered a stroke. Three days later November 11, 2016, the family took Obando off life support. He was only 53.
Chocolatito Gonzalez stepped away from training for some time to grieve however preparations are already under way to face the WBC Silver Champion and #2 ranked mandatory challenger Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. He has a record of 41-4-1 with 38 KOs and will be another grueling test for the tenacious champion.
Also, based in Asia is another Super Flyweight champion and a two-division titlist, Japan’s Naoya Inoue. The 23-year-old boxer sports a record of just 12-0, though he has 10 wins by KO! He fought four times in 2016 including less than two weeks ago, as part of Japan’s annual New Year’s Eve extravaganza. Inoue scored a TKO over Kohei Kono in Tokyo on December 30th, 2016.
Inoue was a decorated youth boxer and many were eagerly anticipating his jump to the professional circuit. So far, the hype is for real!
Based exclusively out of Japan Inoue has held the WBC Light Flyweight title and has now held the WBO Super Flyweight title for two years making four successful defenses, three by knockout. Considering his accomplishments at this early age it’s also worth noting that his opponents have a combined record of 281-51-20 and he’s stopped 83% of those adversaries.
Both Inoue and Chocolatito have the potential to become all-time greats. Their eagerness to readily take on bigger challenges (literally) is a throw-back to greats like Henry Armstrong.
At just 5’5” with a 67” reach “Homicide Hank” terrorized three weight divisions throughout the 1930s and beyond. In 1938 alone he captured the Welterweight title from Barney Ross in a 15-round war and won a split decision against Lou Ambers to become Lightweight champion of the world. Many in the press row thought he beat Ceferino Garcia to win a portion of the Welterweight titles recognized only in California and New York but the fight was called a draw.
Armstrong was the last man to hold titles in three divisions simultaneously, in 1938.
With as little as three pounds separating some of the lower weight classes it seems like less of a feat to jump up or move down in the modern era, however one would be ignoring the fact that modern athletes are highly trained and endure rigorous strength training so three to five pounds of functional muscle would add a significant advantage to the boxer.
Though it’s obviously still too early to add Naoya Inoue and Roman Gonzalez to the lofty pantheon that Henry Armstrong is a member it’s hard to argue against based on the composition alone of these fighters that it would not offer an intriguing matchup.
We cannot travel back in time but we can and should see these two young dynamic fighters face one another sharpish! We know Chocolatito does not mind being a road warrior and has ironically seen a lot of success in Japan and beaten many of their champions. He’s pursued his career like he does all his opponents; with effective aggression.
Inoue’s boyish looks and youth belies a steely resolve and craft that make him appear like a veteran already. Again, he has not yet traveled outside his home country. We can only speculate how he would fair in Vegas or Madison Square Garden amidst the roar of a foreign crowd and the pressure of the biggest stages in the world.
The term “pound for pound best” is thrown around so frequently it has about as much meaning nowadays as a greeting you receive while on hold trying to report an outage to your cable company, except every so often there are fights and fighters who deserve and can earn the right to be called “The Pound for Pound Best Fighter in the World.” The consensus pick now is the self-effacing Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez but Naoya Inoue could be the usurper to the throne.
One man wins and he adds to a growing legacy that will see his name repeated for generations.
Another and he rewrites history altogether.
Don’t listen to the naysayers, it’s a great time to be a boxing fan!
