BoxRec

I've noticed that Roman Gonzalez has been getting a lot of heat ever since he became an HBO fighter. I have no idea why this is occurring. He is an exciting fight that gives it his all for the whole 12 rounds, he's humble, makes little money compared to others, and is little known. So why all the hate?

Here are the most common criticisms that I see on different forums and comment sections.

#1 He's pound for pound is all hype and HBO is force feeding that to the fans.

He was already ranked top 3 pound for pound on ESPN, Ring, and Transnational boxing (which is a more reliable list in my opinion) prior to the Viloria fight. Due to Mayweather retiring and Pacquiao losing someone had to move to take the crown and it had to be the #3 guy. Besides why would HBO hype up a flyweight when they can claim someone much more marketable like Golovkin, Canelo, or Ward as the pound for pound king?

#2. He's fighting bum after bum therefore he shouldn't be a top pound for pound.

I can't think of anyone else who has defeated 4 top 10 ranked fighters in their last 4 fights. Not Golovkin, Crawford, Rigondeaux, Inoue, o Ward. Perhaps you can make a hard case for Kovalev. It's even difficult to find someone who has defeated 2 top 10 ranked fighters in their last 2 fights. Roman has victories over 7 current top 10 fighters from 105-115. Who else comes close?

#3. A guy the size of a child or a woman shouldn't be #1.

A lot of casual fans miss the purpose of pound for pound.


So again why all the hate? Is this just with the casuals? Or are the hardcore fans in it too?

He's taking some attention away from GGG

Where do you find the hate you are talking about? I don't see in this forum. I am a huge Golovkin's fan, but I like Gonzalez a lot too and was rooting for him on Saturday. At some point when his facial expression started to change along with bruising, it became almost painful to watch. I don't think that Roman won, but not because I hate him. I don't want him to fight Inoue right away, but want to see Inoue fighting Cuadras who may be the man at 115.

ive noticed this, from what i could see on saturday he peformed bloody well against a good champion, he worked hard for 12 rounds and was never sloppy or frustrated, even the punches he was taking didnt fluster him, he got on with the job in hand and very much impressed me

littlepug wrote:ive noticed this, from what i could see on saturday he peformed bloody well against a good champion, he worked hard for 12 rounds and was never sloppy or frustrated, even the punches he was taking didnt fluster him, he got on with the job in hand and very much impressed me

Well, there may be different opinions about a close fight. Why do you call it hate?

Good post OP.

I wouldn't call it hate but a few people do seem eager to put qualifications and disclaimers against Gonzalez. And these do generally seem to be people who don't accept a very small dude can be p4p. I don't get it, but there it is.

For me its (1) the eye-test and Romans superb offensive skill and (2) the record of consistently beating good fighters. I actually like his style somewhat better than GGG's, as he cant simply steamroller with pure power, he has to compensate with supreme offensive variety and output. I don't see what's not to fuxken love, but, well, its the internet

boxing_rocks wrote:

littlepug wrote:ive noticed this, from what i could see on saturday he peformed bloody well against a good champion, he worked hard for 12 rounds and was never sloppy or frustrated, even the punches he was taking didnt fluster him, he got on with the job in hand and very much impressed me

Well, there may be different opinions about a close fight. Why do you call it hate?

I personally wouldn't use that term I think its just an underappreciation of the little guys, they don't seem to be everyones cup of tea for some reason

With success comes inevitable criticism. A lot of fans over look the lighter weights as well as there's not as much of a spotlight on them. Skill wise Gonzalez is as good as anyone P4P.

I find the P4P arguement quite a frustrating one. Opinions are like a clitoris... Every cúnts got one!

My only criticism is that he's not made for 115lbs. Cuadras looked huge against him, Srisaket will dwarf him when they meet as will Inoue. The guys long been one of my favourites and wins over the likes of Niida, Takayama, Yaegashi, Arroyo, Viloria, Sosa, Rodriguez, Estrada and Cuadras probably gives him the strongest resume of any active fighter not called Pacquiao

I haven't really seen any hate for Roman Gonzalez. Don't see what's not to like about him.

Boxing Prospect wrote:My only criticism is that he's not made for 115lbs.

It is not even criticism, just stating a fact.

boxing_rocks wrote:

Boxing Prospect wrote:My only criticism is that he's not made for 115lbs.

It is not even criticism, just stating a fact.

I mean he was able to get a win over a guy who was unbeaten and had a 2 year reign in that weight class so he's obviously able to compete there still, but I think that's definitely his limit on weight classes he'll be able to successfully compete in. If he weren't such an exceptional talent with unquenchable stamina he'd have lost Saturday, and that was also one of the first times I saw his Stamina almost let him down. So he's definitely feeling the problems at this weight more than he's ever felt, but he's still capable of competing with the best they have to offer at 115.

Maybe some hate him.
I'll try to counter that by fornicating loving the guy.

He's awesome!

davie wrote:Maybe some hate him.
I'll try to counter that by effing loving the guy.

He's awesome!

I've personally never seen a better fighter at these smallest of weight classes

gilgamesh wrote:

boxing_rocks wrote:

Boxing Prospect wrote:My only criticism is that he's not made for 115lbs.

It is not even criticism, just stating a fact.

I mean he was able to get a win over a guy who was unbeaten and had a 2 year reign in that weight class so he's obviously able to compete there still, but I think that's definitely his limit on weight classes he'll be able to successfully compete in. If he weren't such an exceptional talent with unquenchable stamina he'd have lost Saturday, and that was also one of the first times I saw his Stamina almost let him down. So he's definitely feeling the problems at this weight more than he's ever felt, but he's still capable of competing with the best they have to offer at 115.

A couple more of such wins, and he will be ruined. He gave everything he possibly could.

boxing_rocks wrote:

gilgamesh wrote:

boxing_rocks wrote:
It is not even criticism, just stating a fact.

I mean he was able to get a win over a guy who was unbeaten and had a 2 year reign in that weight class so he's obviously able to compete there still, but I think that's definitely his limit on weight classes he'll be able to successfully compete in. If he weren't such an exceptional talent with unquenchable stamina he'd have lost Saturday, and that was also one of the first times I saw his Stamina almost let him down. So he's definitely feeling the problems at this weight more than he's ever felt, but he's still capable of competing with the best they have to offer at 115.

A couple more of such wins, and he will be ruined. He gave everything he possibly could.

The little guys burn out quick anyway. Chances are by the time he's 31 or 32 Chocolatito's run is gonna be over anyway. He fights at such a frenetic insane pace, there's no way you could keep on fighting like that into your late 30's no matter what.

Must have his eye on the 49-0 thing now

littlepug wrote:Must have his eye on the 49-0 thing now

I hope he gets 50-0. Great fighter. I was very impressed by his determination at the weekend. Cuadras was very quick and very strong so it was a great win IMO.

I think Gonzales needs to do some strength training for the higher weight. Take some time out and get stronger. He boxed beautifully but didn't seem to ever hurt Carlos despite landing cleanly many times.

halfamill wrote:I've noticed that Roman Gonzalez has been getting a lot of heat ever since he became an HBO fighter. I have no idea why this is occurring. He is an exciting fight that gives it his all for the whole 12 rounds, he's humble, makes little money compared to others, and is little known. So why all the hate?

Here are the most common criticisms that I see on different forums and comment sections.

#1 He's pound for pound is all hype and HBO is force feeding that to the fans.

He was already ranked top 3 pound for pound on ESPN, Ring, and Transnational boxing (which is a more reliable list in my opinion) prior to the Viloria fight. Due to Mayweather retiring and Pacquiao losing someone had to move to take the crown and it had to be the #3 guy. Besides why would HBO hype up a flyweight when they can claim someone much more marketable like Golovkin, Canelo, or Ward as the pound for pound king?

#2. He's fighting bum after bum therefore he shouldn't be a top pound for pound.

I can't think of anyone else who has defeated 4 top 10 ranked fighters in their last 4 fights. Not Golovkin, Crawford, Rigondeaux, Inoue, o Ward. Perhaps you can make a hard case for Kovalev. It's even difficult to find someone who has defeated 2 top 10 ranked fighters in their last 2 fights. Roman has victories over 7 current top 10 fighters from 105-115. Who else comes close?

#3. A guy the size of a child or a woman shouldn't be #1.

A lot of casual fans miss the purpose of pound for pound.


So again why all the hate? Is this just with the casuals? Or are the hardcore fans in it too?

First of all, the really small guys like Roman don't have the following like the bigger guys like it or not. The competition at the smaller weights is not great either, other than the few top guys.
A lot of casual fans miss the purpose of pfp? I wonder if you do. Roman is a great fighter, and I have not seen anyone question that.

Tomasino wrote:

littlepug wrote:Must have his eye on the 49-0 thing now

I hope he gets 50-0. Great fighter. I was very impressed by his determination at the weekend. Cuadras was very quick and very strong so it was a great win IMO.

I think Gonzales needs to do some strength training for the higher weight. Take some time out and get stronger. He boxed beautifully but didn't seem to ever hurt Carlos despite landing cleanly many times.

Agree with this. He should more carefully build his body up for the heavier divisions. Otherwise, he is a tremendous talent who is guided by smart trainers. He's really carrying on Arguello's legacy for Nicaragua and he takes a lot of pride in that. He's #1 P4P in my book.

I'm an RG fan and have enjoyed his recent fights but I think that most of the negativity stemmed from how we, as fans, were force fead his greatness. It seems as though HBO and the RG crazy boxing writers anointed him with this P4P crown before the public could witness enough of his fights to justify this prestigious position fans hold close to their hearts.

I personally believe that Pound for Pound lists should be made up by the fans and the fans only. Not through a network or analysts that have some stake figured into the equation. Max Kellerman spent 12 rounds Saturday Night blowing Roman Gonzales and seemed smitten like a schoolgirl. Trying so hard to make us fans appreciate his ability...continuously pointing out things we should appreciate. Shut the F up. That was a close fight and RG took a heck of a beating. I had RG winning the fight 115-113 and it was so tight down the stretch but Max and RJ Jr was too busy trying to sell RG that they couldn't see how great of a fight that really was.

If the RG bandwagon wasn't forced on us like it was then maybe we'd all appreciate him a lot more than we do. Writers named RG P4P best fighter well before they started showing his fights on tv. So it's ass backwards and I think it's the reason for the disconnect between fans and this kid.

caldo2025 wrote:I'm an RG fan and have enjoyed his recent fights but I think that most of the negativity stemmed from how we, as fans, were force fead his greatness. It seems as though HBO and the RG crazy boxing writers anointed him with this P4P crown before the public could witness enough of his fights to justify this prestigious position fans hold close to their hearts.

I personally believe that Pound for Pound lists should be made up by the fans and the fans only. Not through a network or analysts that have some stake figured into the equation. Max Kellerman spent 12 rounds Saturday Night blowing Roman Gonzales and seemed smitten like a schoolgirl. Trying so hard to make us fans appreciate his ability...continuously pointing out things we should appreciate. Shut the F up. That was a close fight and RG took a heck of a beating. I had RG winning the fight 115-113 and it was so tight down the stretch but Max and RJ Jr was too busy trying to sell RG that they couldn't see how great of a fight that really was.

If the RG bandwagon wasn't forced on us like it was then maybe we'd all appreciate him a lot more than we do. Writers named RG P4P best fighter well before they started showing his fights on tv. So it's ass backwards and I think it's the reason for the disconnect between fans and this kid.

I love when people make my point better than me.

At the end of the year 2000, the Ring magazine ranked Bernard Hopkins #10 p4p.

From 1995-2000, Hopkins was 12-0 with 9 KOs.
He won at least 10 rounds on multiple cards in the 3 UD wins.
At that point in his career, he was 38(28)-2-1.
All the UD wins were clear (closest Gilbert Baptists 9-3, 9-3, 7-5 KD)

This came against similar competition Roman has faced throughout his career.

Maybe I'm just an old timer, but these rankings used to mean more.

BAD INTENTIONS wrote:At the end of the year 2000, the Ring magazine ranked Bernard Hopkins #10 p4p.

From 1995-2000, Hopkins was 12-0 with 9 KOs.
He won at least 10 rounds on multiple cards in the 3 UD wins.
At that point in his career, he was 38(28)-2-1.
All the UD wins were clear (closest Gilbert Baptists 9-3, 9-3, 7-5 KD)

This came against similar competition Roman has faced throughout his career.

Maybe I'm just an old timer, but these rankings used to mean more.

Roman's having done what he's done in 4 different weight classes now is what gives him these credentials to be absolutely dominant in 3 weight classes prior to going up to your 4th is something most fighters in that weight range couldn't do.

I'd say Roman's competition has been a higher level than Hopkins' competition at that particular time.

The whole idea of Pound for Pound lists is overblown though really.

caldo2025 wrote:I'm an RG fan and have enjoyed his recent fights but I think that most of the negativity stemmed from how we, as fans, were force fead his greatness. It seems as though HBO and the RG crazy boxing writers anointed him with this P4P crown before the public could witness enough of his fights to justify this prestigious position fans hold close to their hearts.

I personally believe that Pound for Pound lists should be made up by the fans and the fans only. Not through a network or analysts that have some stake figured into the equation. Max Kellerman spent 12 rounds Saturday Night blowing Roman Gonzales and seemed smitten like a schoolgirl. Trying so hard to make us fans appreciate his ability...continuously pointing out things we should appreciate. Shut the F up. That was a close fight and RG took a heck of a beating. I had RG winning the fight 115-113 and it was so tight down the stretch but Max and RJ Jr was too busy trying to sell RG that they couldn't see how great of a fight that really was.

If the RG bandwagon wasn't forced on us like it was then maybe we'd all appreciate him a lot more than we do. Writers named RG P4P best fighter well before they started showing his fights on tv. So it's ass backwards and I think it's the reason for the disconnect between fans and this kid.

A few little problems here...
Fans only watch what they are given to watch. How many had seen Roman rip the title from Niida? Batter Takayama? Overcome Estrada? Break down Rodriguez? Destroy Yaegashi? ...other than you know the millions who watched some of those fights on Japanese TV (the Yaegashi fight drew numbers that dwarf the US figures for fights). Do we give more credit to American fans that to Japanese, Thai, Russian or Ukrainian fans?

Secondly MOST of ROMAN'S fights have been shown on TV, not just the HBO ones. A crap load have been aired in Japan across pretty much every channel over there (Fuji, WOWOW, think G+ carried some too), Canal 5 (or 4?) in Nicaragua, and channels in Mexico. Again do we only accept fights that have been aired in the US?

Do we have to totally ignore Inoue from the P4P conversation as he hasn't fought on US TV yet has had every fight televised so far on Fuji TV?