Flyweight champion Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez added to Gennady Golovkin’s Forum card
Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez poses for pictures during a media work out in New York on Oct. 13.
- Share via
Flyweight world champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez has been added as the co-main event to unbeaten Gennady Golovkin’s middleweight title defense April 23 at the Forum.
Nicaragua’s gifted Gonzalez (44-0, 38 knockouts), considered by some experts as the world’s top pound-for-pound boxer, will fight Puerto Rico’s McWilliams Arroyo (16-2, 14 KOs) on the HBO-televised card.
It will be the fourth World Boxing Council title defense for the 28-year-old Gonzalez, who stopped veteran former champion Brian Viloria in October at Madison Square Garden.
Arroyo, 30, a 2008 Olympian and twin brother of International Boxing Federation super-flyweight world champion McJoe Arroyo, fought for the IBF flyweight belt in September 2014, losing a split-decision in Thailand to that country’s Amnat Ruenroeng.
“Should be a great matchup with Roman’s firepower and the punching ability Arroyo brings with him,” promoter Tom Loeffler said.
Golovkin, meanwhile, is riding a 21-fight knockout streak to his World Boxing Assn./IBF defense against unbeaten Dominic Wade.
Golovkin and Gonzalez drew more than 12,000 fans to the Forum in May, then sold out Madison Square Garden in October.
Gonzalez, schooled by his late countryman and lightweight legend Alexis Arguello, fights eerily similar to Arguello -- relentless and sharp.
“Bringing them back to L.A. now, after Roman was more of an unknown commodity last year -- he’s now skyrocketed in popularity -- we expect a lot of support for him, especially with the large Nicaraguan population in Los Angeles,” Loeffler said.
Tickets go on sale Tuesday, priced $30-$400.
More to Read
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.