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Avila Perspective, Chap. 88: Chocolatito, Marcos Caballero and Mikey

When Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez regained the WBA super flyweight world title via knockout last Saturday, you might have felt a collective vibration of glee from those whose lives this humble warrior has touched.
It was a momentous occasion.
No one was happier than Marcos Caballero who began training Gonzalez after his last loss. He was in the corner when Gonzalez defeated Khalid Yafai to reclaim a world title for the first time in 36 months. It was a task that the two planned for more than 36 months.
“He (Gonzalez) did everything perfectly,” said Marcos Caballero, via telephone on Wednesday.
It took a while, but the former pound for pound king returned to the throne. For almost three years he held no title and the world seemed to pass him by. It was only a desert mirage.
Between September 2009 when Gonzalez defeated Japan’s Yutaka Niida for the WBA minimum weight title, until March 2017, when he lost the WBC super flyweight title to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, the Nicaraguan warrior had held some form of title.
Seldom can a former champion reclaim a world title, especially years later.
Gonzalez’s journey has been a long but seldom traveled trip that began when he was signed by Teiken Promotions years ago. Rumors had emerged before the Great Recession about a Nicaraguan boxer that might be one of those special fighters.
The first time Gonzalez fought in America was at Pomona, California on the LA County Fairgrounds on April 2012. Curiosity had stretched its arm from Nicaragua to Southern California about the Nicaraguan with tremendous fighting ability. It was a blessing to hear he was coming to this former farming community.
Opposing Chocolatito that night eight years ago was a Mexican southpaw named Ramon Hirales who had won the WBO light flyweight world title a year earlier, but lost it to Donnie Nietes by decision. He was a capable and experienced fighter.
A crowd of Nicaraguans arrived at the Pomona Fairgrounds that night carrying blue and white flags and cheering as they entered the exhibition hall that was housing the boxing card. Other boxers on that card included Jessie Magdaleno.
That night Chocolatito walked into the ring to defend the WBA light flyweight title and exhibited boxing skills and a controlled ferocity seldom seen. He dominated Hirales and floored him twice in the fourth round to win by knockout and send the Nicaraguan fans cheering and shouting through the night.
In immediate fashion Chocolatito later won flyweight and super flyweight world titles while battling superb opposition such as Brian Viloria and Mexico’s Juan Francisco Estrada and Carlos Cuadras.
But the victory tour ended when he met Thailand’s Srisaket Sor Rungvisai for the WBC super flyweight title in New York City. He lost a close and disputed decision. Six months later they met again at the StubHub Center in Los Angeles and the Thai strongman brutally knocked out Gonzalez in the fourth round on September 2017.
Fans cried and critics were shocked. Many felt it was the end of Chocolatito’s career though he returned a year later with a victory.
Marcos
Like any fighter who suffers defeat for the first time, Chocolatito looked for improvement and how to achieve it. He chose Southern California’s Marcos Caballero to become his trainer.
Based in the Coachella Valley area, the long-time trainer had worked with dozens of fighters for decades. Among those he worked with are the brothers Antonio and Julio Diaz. Perhaps his most prized pupil was his own son Randy Caballero, a former bantamweight world champion who suffered a debilitating leg injury.
Chocolatito had visited the Coachella gym years earlier and liked what he saw. It also didn’t hurt that Marcos Caballero is of Nicaraguan ancestry.
“I had been with him (Chocolatito) but not training him before,” said Caballero. “I started a year and a half ago.”
After suffering two losses Gonzalez looked to Caballero and the two sat down and analyzed what happened and what improvements could be made.
Caballero studied film and what was needed to rekindle that gear that led to four division world titles. He discovered a few things and also those elements that had disappeared. The change was immediate.
“That’s the old Chocolatito. What he did is put everything together. After the loss he was waiting for their combinations and trying to figure them out,” said Caballero. “Now he’s back and he’s fresher.”
Caballero used youngsters to spar with the veteran with multiple world championship belts and was criticized. But the intent was to keep Chocolatito fresh.
“We didn’t want to leave everything in training camp with sparring,” said Caballero. “That’s why you saw him fresher.”
Last weekend in Frisco, Texas the fans got to see exactly what made Chocolatito one of the finest prizefighters in the world, pound for pound, as he pounded and battered England’s Khalid Yafai for nine rounds and eventually won by stoppage.
Fans and critics had thought Gonzalez was finished as a world title contender and were shocked to see they were wrong.
“We were able to bring him back and become the old Chocolatito and he did. It was a perfect opponent,” Caballero said. “That’s the old Chocolatito, his feet are moving and once you get into range, he won’t stop punching.”
Once again Chocolatito holds the world title and, for once, Caballero gets recognition for his work.
“Nobody believed in him,” said Caballero who trained Gonzalez for his last three fights. “I’m happy for him and I’m happy for me. That’s a dream of every coach.”
Mikey Garcia
The main event saw Mikey Garcia systematically defeat Jessie Vargas with his blend of accurate punching and prove he can truly compete in the welterweight division. Were there any doubts?
Immediately after the fight Garcia was asked if Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao could be a potential target?
“Yes,” Garcia replied.
Responses on social media were immediate and mostly derisive, but the fact remains that Garcia is not your average prizefighter. He’s reminiscent of Juan Manuel Marquez or Roberto Duran in that size doesn’t matter, but timing and skills truly do.
Open your eyes and watch a special fighter as Garcia continues to establish his legacy as one of the top fighters of this era. Losing to Errol Spence Jr. only proved that a speedy, taller southpaw fighter was not a style for him. Maybe not for anybody at this time. Garcia continues to be one of the special fighters today. Enjoy it and learn.
Fights to Watch (Pacific Coast time)
Fri. Telemundo 11:35 p.m. Armando Torres (25-18) vs Pinky Alejo (25-6-1)
Sat. ESPN+ 2 p.m. Danny Dignum (12-0) vs Alfredo Meli (17-0-1)
Sat. DAZN 2 p.m. Scott Quigg (35-2-2) vs Jono Carroll (17-1-1)
Sat. FOX 5 p.m. Adam Kownacki (20-0) vs Robert Helenius (29-3)
Sat. Facebook Watch 7:30 p.m. Oscar Duarte (18-1-1) vs Andres Garcia (13-2-1).
Photo credit: Ed Mulholland / Matchroom USA
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Ringside at the Fontainebleau where Mikaela Mayer Won her Rematch with Sandy Ryan

LAS VEGAS, NV — The first meeting between Mikaela Mayer and Sandy Ryan last September at Madison Square Garden was punctuated with drama before the first punch was thrown. When the smoke cleared, Mayer had become a world-title-holder in a second weight class, taking away Ryan’s WBO welterweight belt via a majority decision in a fan-friendly fight.
The rematch tonight at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas was another fan-friendly fight. There were furious exchanges in several rounds and the crowd awarded both gladiators a standing ovation at the finish.
Mayer dominated the first half of the fight and held on to win by a unanimous decision. But Sandy Ryan came on strong beginning in round seven, and although Mayer was the deserving winner, the scores favoring her (98-92 and 97-93 twice) fail to reflect the competitiveness of the match-up. This is the best rivalry in women’s boxing aside from Taylor-Serrano.
Mayer, 34, improved to 21-2 (5). Up next, she hopes, in a unification fight with Lauren Price who outclassed Natasha Jonas earlier this month and currently holds the other meaningful pieces of the 147-pound puzzle. Sandy Ryan, 31, the pride of Derby, England, falls to 7-3-1.
Co-Feature
In his first defense of his WBO world welterweight title (acquired with a brutal knockout of Giovani Santillan after the title was vacated by Terence Crawford), Atlanta’s Brian Norman Jr knocked out Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas in the third round. A three-punch combination climaxed by a short left hook sent Cuevas staggering into a corner post. He got to his feet before referee Thomas Taylor started the count, but Taylor looked in Cuevas’s eyes and didn’t like what he saw and brought the bout to a halt.
The stoppage, which struck some as premature, came with one second remaining in the third stanza.
A second-generation prizefighter (his father was a fringe contender at super middleweight), the 24-year-old Norman (27-0, 21 KOs) is currently boxing’s youngest male title-holder. It was only the second pro loss for Cuevas (27-2-1) whose lone previous defeat had come early in his career in a 6-rounder he lost by split decision.
Other Bouts
In a career-best performance, 27-year-old Brooklyn featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) blasted out Jose Enrique Vivas (23-4) in the third round.
Carrington, who was named the Most Outstanding Boxer at the 2019 U.S. Olympic Trials despite being the lowest-seeded boxer in his weight class, decked Vivas with a right-left combination near the end of the second round. Vivas barely survived the round and was on a short leash when the third stanza began. After 53 seconds of round three, referee Raul Caiz Jr had seen enough and waived it off. Vivas hadn’t previously been stopped.
Cleveland welterweight Tiger Johnson, a Tokyo Olympian, scored a fifth-round stoppage over San Antonio’s Kendo Castaneda. Johnson assumed control in the fourth round and sent Castaneda to his knees twice with body punches in the next frame. The second knockdown terminated the match. The official time was 2:00 of round five.
Johnson advanced to 15-0 (7 KOs). Castenada declined to 21-9.
Las Vegas junior welterweight Emiliano Vargas (13-0, 11 KOs) blasted out Stockton, California’s Giovanni Gonzalez in the second round. Vargas brought the bout to a sudden conclusion with a sweeping left hook that knocked Gonzalez out cold. The end came at the 2:00 minute mark of round two.
Gonzalez brought a 20-7-2 record which was misleading as 18 of his fights were in Tijuana where fights are frequently prearranged. However, he wasn’t afraid to trade with Vargas and paid the price.
Emiliano Vargas, with his matinee idol good looks and his boxing pedigree – he is the son of former U.S. Olympian and two-weight world title-holder “Ferocious” Fernando Vargas – is highly marketable and has the potential to be a cross-over star.
Eighteen-year-old Newark bantamweight Emmanuel “Manny” Chance, one of Top Rank’s newest signees, won his pro debut with a four-round decision over So Cal’s Miguel Guzman. Chance won all four rounds on all three cards, but this was no runaway. He left a lot of room for improvement.
There was a long intermission before the co-main and again before the main event, but the tedium was assuaged by a moving video tribute to George Foreman.
Photos credit: Al Applerose
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William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0

William Zepeda Edges Past Tevin Farmer in Cancun; Improves to 34-0
No surprise, once again William Zepeda eked out a win over the clever and resilient Tevin Farmer to remain undefeated and retain a regional lightweight title on Saturday.
There were no knockdowns in this rematch.
The Mexican punching machine Zepeda (33-0, 17 KOs) once more sought to overwhelm Farmer (33-8-1, 9 KOs) with a deluge of blows. This rematch by Golden Boy Promotions took place in the famous beach resort area of Cancun, Mexico.
It was a mere four months ago that both first clashed in Saudi Arabia with their vastly difference styles. This time the tropical setting served as the background which suited Zepeda and his lawnmower assaults. The Mexican fans were pleased.
Nothing changed in their second meeting.
Zepeda revved up the body assault and Farmer moved around casually to his right while fending off the Mexican fighter’s attacks. By the fourth round Zepeda was able to cut off Farmer’s escape routes and targeted the body with punishing shots.
The blows came in bunches.
In the fifth round Zepeda blasted away at Farmer who looked frantic for an escape. The body assault continued with the Mexican fighter pouring it on and Farmer seeming to look ready to quit. When the round ended, he waved off his corner’s appeals to stop.
Zepeda continued to dominate the next few rounds and then Farmer began rallying. At first, he cleverly smothered Zepeda’s body attacks and then began moving and hitting sporadically. It forced the Mexican fighter to pause and figure out the strategy.
Farmer, a Philadelphia fighter, showed resiliency especially when it was revealed he had suffered a hand injury.
During the last three rounds Farmer dug down deep and found ways to score and not get hit. It was Boxing 101 and the Philly fighter made it work.
But too many rounds had been put in the bank by Zepeda. Despite the late rally by Farmer one judge saw it 114-114, but two others scored it 116-112 and 115-113 for Zepeda who retains his interim lightweight title and place at the top of the WBC rankings.
“I knew he was a difficult fighter. This time he was even more difficult,” said Zepeda.
Farmer was downtrodden about another loss but realistic about the outcome and starting slow.
“But I dominated the last rounds,” said Farmer.
Zepeda shrugged at the similar outcome as their first encounter.
“I’m glad we both put on a great show,” said Zepeda.
Female Flyweight Battle
Costa Rica’s Yokasta Valle edged past Texas fighter Marlen Esparza to win their showdown at flyweight by split decision after 10 rounds.
Valle moved up two weight divisions to meet Esparza who was slightly above the weight limit. Both showed off their contrasting styles and world class talent.
Esparza, a former unified flyweight world titlist, stayed in the pocket and was largely successful with well-placed jabs and left hooks. She repeatedly caught Valle in-between her flurries.
The current minimumweight world titlist changed tactics and found more success in the second half of the fight. She forced Esparza to make the first moves and that forced changes that benefited her style.
Neither fighter could take over the fight.
After 10 rounds one judge saw Esparza the winner 96-94, but two others saw Valle the winner 97-93 twice.
Will Valle move up and challenge the current undisputed flyweight world champion Gabriela Fundora? That’s the question.
Valle currently holds the WBC minimumweight world title.
Puerto Rico vs Mexico
Oscar Collazo (12-0, 9 KOs), the WBO, WBA minimumweight titlist, knocked out Mexico’s Edwin Cano (13-3-1, 4 KOs) with a flurry of body shots at 1:12 of the fifth round.
Collazo dominated with a relentless body attack the Mexican fighter could not defend. It was the Puerto Rican fighter’s fifth consecutive title defense.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 319: Rematches in Las Vegas, Cancun and More

Rematches are the bedrock for prizefighting.
Return battles between rival boxers always means their first encounter was riveting and successful at the box office.
Six months after their first brutal battle Mikaela Mayer (20-2, 5 KOs) and Sandy Ryan (7-2-1, 3 KOs) will slug it out again for the WBO welterweight world title this time on Saturday, March 29, at the Fontainebleau in Las Vegas.
ESPN will show the Top Rank card live.
“It’s important for women’s boxing to have these rivalries and this is definitely up there as one of the top ones,” Mayer told the BBC.
If you follow Mayer’s career you know that somehow drama follows. Whether its back-and-forth beefs with fellow American fighters or controversial judging due to nationalism in countries abroad. The Southern California native who now trains in Las Vegas knows how to create the drama.
For female fighters self-promotion is a necessity.
Most boxing promoters refuse to step out of the usual process set for male boxers, not for female boxers. Things remain the same and have been for the last 70 years. Social media has brought changes but that has made promoters do even less.
No longer are there press conferences, instead announcements are made on social media to be drowned among the billions of other posts. It is not killing but diluting interest in the sport.
Women innately present a different advantage that few if any promoters are recognizing. So far in the past 25 years I have only seen two or three promoters actually ignite interest in female fighters. They saw the advantages and properly boosted interest in the women.
The fight breakdown
Mayer has won world titles in the super featherweight and now the welterweight division. Those are two vastly different weight classes and prove her fighting abilities are based on skill not power or size.
Coaching Mayer since amateurs remains Al Mitchell and now Kofi Jantuah who replaced Kay Koroma the current trainer for Sandy Ryan.
That was the reason drama ignited during their first battle. Then came someone tossing paint at Ryan the day of their first fight.
More drama.
During their first fight both battled to control the initiative with Mayer out-punching the British fighter by a slender margin. It was a back-and-forth struggle with each absorbing blows and retaliating immediately.
New York City got its money’s worth.
Ryan had risen to the elite level rapidly since losing to Erica Farias three years ago. Though she was physically bigger and younger, she was out-maneuvered and defeated by the wily veteran from Argentina. In the rematch, however, Ryan made adjustments and won convincingly.
Can she make adjustments from her defeat to Mayer?
“I wanted the rematch straight away,” said Ryan on social media. “I’ve come to America again.”
Both fighters have size and reach. In their first clash it was evident that conditioning was not a concern as blows were fired nonstop in bunches. Mayer had the number of punches landed advantage and it unfolded with the judges giving her a majority decision win.
That was six months ago. Can she repeat the outcome?
Mayer has always had boiler-oven intensity. It’s not fake. Since her amateur days the slender Southern California blonde changes disposition all the way to red when lacing up the gloves. It’s something that can’t be taught.
Can she draw enough of that fire out again?
“I didn’t have to give her this rematch. I could have just sat it out, waited for Lauren Price to unify and fought for undisputed or faced someone else,” said Mayer to BBC. “That’s not the fighter I am though.”
Co-Main in Las Vegas
The co-main event pits Brian Norman Jr. (26-0, 20 KOs) facing Puerto Rico’s Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1, 19 KOs) in a contest for the WBO welterweight title.
Norman, 24, was last seen a year ago dissecting a very good welterweight in Giovani Santillan for a knockout win in San Diego. He showed speed, skill and power in defeating Santillan in his hometown.
Cuevas has beaten some solid veteran talent but this will be his big test against Norman and his first attempt at winning a world title.
Also on the Top Rank card will be Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington and Emiliano Vargas, the son of Fernando Vargas, in separate bouts.
Golden Boy in Cancun
A rematch between undefeated William “Camaron” Zepeda (32-0, 27 KOs) and ex-champ Tevin Farmer (33-7-1, 8 KOs) headlines the lightweight match on Saturday March 29, at Cancun, Mexico.
In their first encounter Zepeda was knocked down in the fourth round but rallied to win a split-decision over Farmer. It showed the flaws in Zepeda’s tornado style.
DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card that also includes a clash between Yokasta Valle the WBC minimumweight world titlist who is moving up to flyweight to face former flyweight champion Marlen Esparza.
Both Valle and Esparza have fast hands.
Valle is excellent darting in and out while Esparza has learned how to fight inside. It’s a toss-up fight.
Fights to Watch
Fri. DAZN 12 p.m. Cameron Vuong (7-0) vs Jordan Flynn (11-0-1); Pat Brown (0-0) vs Federico Grandone (7-4-2).
Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. William Zepeda (32-0) vs Tevin Farmer (33-7-1); Yokasta Valle (32-3) vs Marlen Esparza (15-2).
Sat. ESPN 7 p.m. Mikaela Mayer (20-2) vs Sandy Ryan (7-2-1); Brian Norman Jr. (26-0) vs Derrieck Cuevas (27-1-1).
Photo credit: Mikey Williams / Top Rank
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