Undefeated Nicaraguan two-time World Champion Roman Gonzalez (39-0, 33 KOs) makes a bid for the WBC Flyweight title on Friday, September 5th in Tokyo, Japan as he takes on Champion Akira Yaegashi. Though Gonzalez is going to his opponent’s homeland, he is heavily favored at (-530), with the comeback on Yaegashi at (+350). Gonzalez has titles in the Minimum weight and Light Flyweight categories, and this would mark a title in a third weight class for him, which is getting into historic territory. Gonzalez is a legend in his homeland of Nicaragua, but this will be his third time heading to Japan for a fight, so his experience should help him overcome what can be a pressure-filled trip. Gonzalez is bidding for the title after five wins in a row as a Flyweight, all five coming before the final bell, so he has adapted well and retained his stopping power as he has filled out. Gonzalez and Yaegashi fought on the same Tokyo card back in April, and both scored stoppage wins. Yaegashi is also a former Minimum Weight world champion, however he skipped the Light Flyweight division and went straight to Flyweight, where he won a second world title himself. He has made three defenses of the Flyweight belt, but despite facing solid international competition, he has never faced anyone like Gonzalez before. Gonzalez is hoping this win, which would be the 40th of his career as he enters his prime at just 27 years old, catapults him into the top pound for pound lists and into the bigger money that boxing has to offer. Gonzalez is in a unique spot. He is fighting at 112 lbs now, but if he manages his weight and growth, he could conceivably end his career at Super Featherweight (130 lbs) or even at Lightweight (135 lbs). A title in the weight classes available in between would leave Gonzalez a world champion between eight or nine weight classes. Now, as he grows, some of the weight classes he would be growing into are among the most competitive weight classes in the world, and it will be a very noteworthy, historical feat. We will know if he can take his first step towards boxing immortality next weekend.
