Phumelele Cafu vs Roman Gonzalez possible for 2025

Bam and Chocolatito are both directly promoted by Teiken in Japan. Tanaka is not 100% Teiken, but have been fighting on their Amazon Prime Live Boxing cards they've had for a good few cards. I have a feeling Teiken is hoping that early next year Chocolatito can have a well deserved homecoming world title fight and also win against Cafu, so that they can put Chocolatito in their Prime card in the second half of the year against Tanaka. For Teiken, they want Tanaka to fight for a belt again soon to fill their "world title fight" checkbox but definitely would rather have him fight against Chocolatito instead of a direct rematch against Cafu on the next card IMO.

In early 2025 Chocolatito-Cafu can happen at Nicaragua. Unrelated to it, Tanaka fights some contenders to get back on the win streak on some undercard in Japan. Then depending on when Choco wants to fight again, possibly put one more match in to rebuild his value or just go straight to a Chocolatito fight in Japan on a Teiken card. The best case win-win scenario for Teiken. Worst case if Cafu defeats Chocolatito, at least they can sell a Cafu-Tanaka 2 as "rematch against the guy who defeated the legend Chocolatito" and it actually would make Tanaka's razor thin loss to Cafu the first time much less painful.

Edit: Third possible outcome that will also work in favor for Teiken is that the current rankings for WBO 115 is 1. Chocolatito, 2. Ioka, 3. Estrada, 4. Tanaka.
Ioka is fighting Martinez on a rematch in NYE, so he'll either get off the rankings via winning back the WBA belt or lose and retire or if not retire then likely fall below Tanaka. Estrada has already officially announced and made his move up to 118 I believe, and won't be returning back it seems. Chocolatito will obviously be gone if he wins the belt and retires. That means as long as Tanaka can keep his ranking afloat against okay level contenders, he has a very high chance of fighting for the vacant WBO belt anyway if you suppose Chocolatito fights Cafu, wins and then decides to retire as a champion.

 

I dig this match up. Personally I thought Tanaka did enough to beat Cafu but it was still a great showing from both fighters in a very competitive and close fight. I think Cafu will hold his own well but Chocolatito may still have enough in the tank to beat Cafu for his title.

Perhaps maybe we can see Tanaka take on the winner of this fight.

 

I believe that is also all but official now too. Tanaka vs Chocolatito was in the drawing board for the next match after Cafu had he won in October.

Interestingly, I looked up and found out that Teiken had made a promotional agreement with Cafu shortly after his upset win over Tanaka (good for him, after his hard work coming from a non-boxing strong country and team). Similar to Olascuaga who's fought his last 4 or 5 fights in Japan, perhaps Teiken is hoping to keep him around as a good contender/belt holder caliber foreign boxer fighting in Japan on good cards.

Now the rather controversial "draw" of the vacant IBF 115 is hurting the picture a bit, but assuming they rematch around spring next year it should still be fine. Given Gym relations, Teiken probably is crossing fingers Martinez wins the rematch next week and keeps the belt.

Teiken's ideal time table IMO:
Dec- Martinez defeats Ioka.
Feb- Chocolatito vs Cafu in Nicaraugua. Tanaka probably fights a low ranked contender in a Japan undercard to get back on winning column.
Spring- Vacant IBF rematch TBD unrelated to Teiken. Bam vs Martinez in USA, promoted by Eddie. If Martinez must fight interim Jimenez to not lose belt, do that first while Bam does a voluntary against someone (Andrew Moloney perhaps?).
Early Summer- Tanaka vs Choco/Cafu winner promoted by Teiken in Japan. All related to Teiken so easy to set up.
Fall- Assuming Bam wins Spring, either a rematch or Bam vs Jimenez mandatory in US again. If Martinez vs Jimenez came first, winner vs Bam unification.
Winter- Hope IBF is owned by someone other than Kameda Promotions (Calixto) and pray for Tanaka unification
Early 2026- IF Bam is planning to stay at 115 until 2026, I can see Teiken hoping to have their own undisputed fight between Bam and Tanaka in Japan. As much as Bam is a popular and talented P4P American, a 115 undisputed unification fight against a 4 division Japanese boxer will sell better in Japan promoted by Teiken than forced to be 2nd fiddle to Boots and his meh opponents in Philly run by Matchroom.

 

Chocolatito looked pretty slow last time out but I still think he has the goods and the craftiness to pull it off. If any of the older little men have what it takes to regain a major title, I think it's Chocolatito. I don't rate Cafu that highly, I thought Tanaka pretty clearly beat him, though the fight was still competitive. I sincerely hope that old man Chocolatito can pull out one last big win.

 

It will be normally in Spring so April / May 2025 in Nicaragua.


That's a good fight !

Hope Kosei Tanaka will take the winner this will be very awesome.


For to speak about the former fourth kings in Suped Flyweight : Cuadras is now in Bantamweight, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai will fought the Japanese Kaito Yamasaki in 8 rounds in Super Bantamweight the 13th April 2025, Estrada is now ranked #1 WBC & #8 by WBO in Bantamweight...



From what I know Srisaket Sor Rungvisai want a third fight with Chocolatito if he win in Japan the 13th April, Carlos Cuadras also call Chocolatito for a rematch.

So if we have in 2025 for the WBO Super Flyweight : Chocolatito vs Phumelela Cafu, Chocolatito vs Srisaket Sor Rungvisai III, Chocolatito vs Carlos Cuadras II, Chocolatito vs Kosei Tanaka.Even just two fights like this on the list will be awesome..


Because the most big problem is that Cuadras & SSR are not ranked in the top 15 of WBO in Super Flyweight.


We have to said that after the 13th April Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is ranked #8 by IBF so he can maybe possibly be a challenger for Ryosuke Nishida.


For Estrada it's more complicated the most possible fight is a third match with Cuadras.. but I think he is the first from the former Fourth Kings of Super Fly to be retired actually. We don't know either if Kosei Tanaka is retired or not.

 

For to be honest if Chocolatito can't win against Cafu he seriously need to be retired.


Cafu if we don't count the IBO Champion Ricardo Malajika is the most weakest champion actually in Super Flyweight.


Phumelela (Phumelele) Cafu knocked down Kosei Tanaka but the scorecards are absolute robbery at least it's a close victory for the Japanese or a draw, but in both results normally Kosei Tanaka keep his WBO Belt.

 

Yes it's like Cuadras & SSR they have no chance in Bantamweight today specially with this strong Japanese Era.

it's definetely too late...


I hope we will have SSR vs Chocolatito III.


Srisaket Sor Rungvisai said that he will be retired whatever is the result in a third fight with Chocolatito.

Carlos Cuadras call Chocolatito for a rematch fight in Bantamweight... but maybe it will be Estrada for a third fight if he is not retired.

Whatever peoples will say about the former Fourth Kings of Super Fly : Cuadras, Estrada, SSR or Chocolatito. But they are all Hall of Famer boxers for me definetely.


Even if they ducked Naoya Inoue or Donaire or even Jerwin Ancajas we will never know all the facts about that... but in all the case they writes history.


I'm not sure we will talk about for example Fernando Daniel Martinez 10 years later...