Photo: Al Bello – Getty Images

THE RING pound-for-pound king Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez will likely open the HBO telecast between Gennady Golovkin and Dominic Wade on April 23 against either McWilliams Arroyo or Juan Hernandez at the Forum in Inglewood, California, K2 Promotions Managing Director Tom Loeffler told RingTV.com on Wednesday.

“That’s our goal is to have Chocolatito once again as the co-feature,” Loeffler said in a phone interview. “Chocolatito is really a main event fighter and to put him for the third time on a Gennady show is a great platform for Chocolatito and we couldn’t get a better combination. You have two of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the same show and, if we can close that fight, it will add value for the fans.”

Loeffler said that if Gonzalez (44-0, 38 knockouts) is successful on April 23, it will launch THE RING flyweight champion to main event status on HBO going forward.

“Absolutely,” Loeffler said. “The last two fights that he’s had as the co-feature has skyrocketed him in the minds of boxing fans and media. He’s the universal pound-for-pound champion and I think having him as a third time as a co-feature will launch him and, if he’s successful in April, it will launch him in his own main event on HBO in his next fight.”

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