Tag: Danny Roman

Fight Week: Naoya Inoue, Nonito Donaire set for second showdown

Fight Week: Naoya Inoue and Nonito Donaire are set for a rematch in which they’ll fight for three of the four major 118-pound titles.

FIGHT WEEK

Naoya Inoue and Nonito Donaire will fight again, this time for three of the four major 118-pound belts Tuesday in Japan. Meanwhile, Jaime Munguia and Edgar Berlanga will fight in separate bouts on Saturday.

Naoya Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs) vs. Nonito Donaire (42-6, 28 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, June 7
  • Time: 5 a.m. ET / 2 a.m.. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Super Arena, Saitama, Japan
  • TV/Stream: ESPN+
  • Division: Bantamweight (118 pounds)
  • Rounds: 12
  • At stake: Inoue’s IBF and WBA, and Donaire’s WBC titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Inoue, No. 2, Donaire, Honorable Mention
  • Odds: Inoue 5-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Takuma Inoue vs. Gakuya Furuhashi, junior featherweights; Andy Hiraoka vs. Shun Akaiwa, junior welterweights
  • Prediction: Inoue KO 10
  • Background: Inoue and Donaire will be fighting for three of the four major 118-pound belts in a rematch of their November 2019 fight, which Inoue won by a unanimous decision. Donaire gave Inoue a harder time than many expected, although the Japanese star fought with a broken bone in his face. The Japanese star followed that victory with knockouts of Jason Moloney, Michael Desmarinas and Aran Dipaen. The Dipaen fight took place on Dec. 14. Inoue has won major titles in three divisions. Donaire, 39, proved that his performance against Inoue was no fluke by stopping Nordine Oubaali a year and a half later to win the WBC version of the bantamweight title. He also knocked out Reymart Gaballo in his first defense in December. Donaire, an elite fighter for more than 15 years, is a four-division titleholder. The fight will take place in the early morning hours U.S. time.

 

Edgar Berlanga (19-0, 16 KOs) vs. Roamer Alexis Angulo (27-2, 23 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, June 11
  • Time: 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m.. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
  • TV/Stream: ESPN/ESPN+
  • Division: Bantamweight (118 pounds)
  • Rounds: 10
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Xander Zayas vs. Ravshan Hudaynazarov, junior middleweights
  • Prediction: Berlanga KO 8
  • Background: Berlanga, 25, faces arguably his toughest test to date against the hard-punching Colombian native Angulo. Berlanga started his professional career with 16 consecutive first-round knockouts, which caused a sensation. However, his last three opponents have taken him the distance, including veteran Steve Rolls on March 19. That indicates that Berlanga isn’t merely a slugger — he can box, too — but also that he might not have the punching power many believed he had. He’s ranked by two of the four major sanctioning bodies. Angulo is a solid all-around fighter who has fallen short in his biggest fights. He lost a wide decision to then-168-pound champ Gilberto Ramirez in June 2018 and was dominated and stopped by David Benavidez after 10 rounds in August 2020. Benavidez lost his super middleweight title on the scale the day before that fight. Angulo is 38.

 

Jaime Munguia (39-0, 31 KOs) vs. Jimmy Kelly (26-2, 10 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, June 11
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m.. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Middleweight (160 pounds)
  • Rounds: 12
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Prediction: Munguia KO 6
  • Background: Munguia, the talented former 154-pound titleholder, is targeting his first opportunity to fight for a belt at 160. In the meantime, he has to stay busy. That’s where the limited Kelly comes in. Munguia is 5-0 since moving up to middleweight, including four knockouts. He’s coming off a third-round stoppage of D’Mitrius Ballard on Feb. 19. The 25-year-old Mexican is ranked No. 1 by the WBO, whose champion is Demetrius Andrade. Munguia also is ranked by the three other major sanctioning bodies. Kelly has won three consecutive fights since losing a wide decision to Denis Hogan in April 2018. The Englishman took a 2½-year break from the sport between 2019 and last year. He also was stopped in seven rounds by then-WBO junior middleweight titleholder Liam Smith back in 2015. Kelly is 29.

 

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

JUNE 10

  • Bakhodir Jalolov vs. Jack Mulowayi, heavyweights, Verona, New York (Showtime).
  • Hiroto Kyoguchi vs. Esteban Bermudez, junior flyweights (for Kyoguchi’s WBA title), Mexico City (DAZN).

JUNE 11

  • Trevor Bryan vs. Daniel Dubois, heavyweights, Miami (pay-per-view).
  • Cletus Seldin vs. Rachid Jkitou, junior welterweights, Huntington, New York (FITE).

[lawrence-related id=26969,30759,26883,28871,28324]

Fight Week: Naoya Inoue, Nonito Donaire set for second showdown

Fight Week: Naoya Inoue and Nonito Donaire are set for a rematch in which they’ll fight for three of the four major 118-pound titles.

FIGHT WEEK

Naoya Inoue and Nonito Donaire will fight again, this time for three of the four major 118-pound belts Tuesday in Japan. Meanwhile, Jaime Munguia and Edgar Berlanga will fight in separate bouts on Saturday.

Naoya Inoue (22-0, 19 KOs) vs. Nonito Donaire (42-6, 28 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, June 7
  • Time: 5 a.m. ET / 2 a.m.. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Super Arena, Saitama, Japan
  • TV/Stream: ESPN+
  • Division: Bantamweight (118 pounds)
  • Rounds: 12
  • At stake: Inoue’s IBF and WBA, and Donaire’s WBC titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: Inoue, No. 2, Donaire, Honorable Mention
  • Odds: Inoue 5-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Also on the card: Takuma Inoue vs. Gakuya Furuhashi, junior featherweights; Andy Hiraoka vs. Shun Akaiwa, junior welterweights
  • Prediction: Inoue KO 10
  • Background: Inoue and Donaire will be fighting for three of the four major 118-pound belts in a rematch of their November 2019 fight, which Inoue won by a unanimous decision. Donaire gave Inoue a harder time than many expected, although the Japanese star fought with a broken bone in his face. The Japanese star followed that victory with knockouts of Jason Moloney, Michael Desmarinas and Aran Dipaen. The Dipaen fight took place on Dec. 14. Inoue has won major titles in three divisions. Donaire, 39, proved that his performance against Inoue was no fluke by stopping Nordine Oubaali a year and a half later to win the WBC version of the bantamweight title. He also knocked out Reymart Gaballo in his first defense in December. Donaire, an elite fighter for more than 15 years, is a four-division titleholder. The fight will take place in the early morning hours U.S. time.

 

Edgar Berlanga (19-0, 16 KOs) vs. Roamer Alexis Angulo (27-2, 23 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, June 11
  • Time: 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m.. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
  • TV/Stream: ESPN/ESPN+
  • Division: Bantamweight (118 pounds)
  • Rounds: 10
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Also on the card: Xander Zayas vs. Ravshan Hudaynazarov, junior middleweights
  • Prediction: Berlanga KO 8
  • Background: Berlanga, 25, faces arguably his toughest test to date against the hard-punching Colombian native Angulo. Berlanga started his professional career with 16 consecutive first-round knockouts, which caused a sensation. However, his last three opponents have taken him the distance, including veteran Steve Rolls on March 19. That indicates that Berlanga isn’t merely a slugger — he can box, too — but also that he might not have the punching power many believed he had. He’s ranked by two of the four major sanctioning bodies. Angulo is a solid all-around fighter who has fallen short in his biggest fights. He lost a wide decision to then-168-pound champ Gilberto Ramirez in June 2018 and was dominated and stopped by David Benavidez after 10 rounds in August 2020. Benavidez lost his super middleweight title on the scale the day before that fight. Angulo is 38.

 

Jaime Munguia (39-0, 31 KOs) vs. Jimmy Kelly (26-2, 10 KOs)

  • When: Saturday, June 11
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m.. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Honda Center, Anaheim, California
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Middleweight (160 pounds)
  • Rounds: 12
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None
  • Odds: NA
  • Prediction: Munguia KO 6
  • Background: Munguia, the talented former 154-pound titleholder, is targeting his first opportunity to fight for a belt at 160. In the meantime, he has to stay busy. That’s where the limited Kelly comes in. Munguia is 5-0 since moving up to middleweight, including four knockouts. He’s coming off a third-round stoppage of D’Mitrius Ballard on Feb. 19. The 25-year-old Mexican is ranked No. 1 by the WBO, whose champion is Demetrius Andrade. Munguia also is ranked by the three other major sanctioning bodies. Kelly has won three consecutive fights since losing a wide decision to Denis Hogan in April 2018. The Englishman took a 2½-year break from the sport between 2019 and last year. He also was stopped in seven rounds by then-WBO junior middleweight titleholder Liam Smith back in 2015. Kelly is 29.

 

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

JUNE 10

  • Bakhodir Jalolov vs. Jack Mulowayi, heavyweights, Verona, New York (Showtime).
  • Hiroto Kyoguchi vs. Esteban Bermudez, junior flyweights (for Kyoguchi’s WBA title), Mexico City (DAZN).

JUNE 11

  • Trevor Bryan vs. Daniel Dubois, heavyweights, Miami (pay-per-view).
  • Cletus Seldin vs. Rachid Jkitou, junior welterweights, Huntington, New York (FITE).

[lawrence-related id=26969,30759,26883,28871,28324]

Good, bad, worse: Devin Haney, Stephen Fulton Jr. give boxing clinics

Good, bad, worse: Devin Haney and Stephen Fulton Jr. gave boxing clinics this past weekend.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

One thing I learned a long time ago is that the more talented combatant generally has his or her hand raised.

That was what played out on in separate parts of the world this past weekend, as the unusually skillful Devin Haney and Stephen Fulton Jr. outclassed elite opponents to win one-sided decisions in important fights.

Haney gave a career defining performance, giving overmatched Aussie George Kambosos Jr. an embarrassing boxing lesson to win a wide decision in front of more than 40,000 disappointed fans at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.

The victory gave Haney the undisputed lightweight championship and validated the hype that has surrounded the 23-year-old for years. He’s as good as billed. And he’s just getting started.

Haney (28-0, 15 KOs) might have to fight Kambosos again because of a rematch clause in their contract. If it happens, Haney will win again. Then we can look forward to genuine super fights against the likes of Gervonta Davis, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Ryan Garcia.

Fulton (21-0, 8 KOs) might’ve been the best fighter in action over the weekend, which is saying something given Haney’s performance.

The Philadelphian tangled with a better boxer than Kambosos – Daniel Roman – yet defeated him just as convincingly in defense of his 122-pound titles in Minneapolis, losing only one round on one card.

The only way to give Fulton any kind of trouble is to maul him, as the freakish Brandon Figueroa did last year. It’s difficult to imagine anyone outboxing this special talent.

Fulton’s problem might be finding suitable foils. He’s now targeting Murodjon Akhmadaliev, who holds the other two junior featherweight titles. Then he and his team are going to have to be creative if they want to get him big fights.

He’s just so much better than everyone else near or at his weight, with Figueroa being the only possible exception.

 

BAD

Stephen Fulton Jr. (left) shows off his defensive skills against Daniel Roman. Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions

Fans who admire pure boxing exhibitions had a fantastic weekend, as Haney and Fulton gave clinics on the sweet science. Those who crave action … well, they might’ve been disappointed.

Haney and Fulton are superb, resourceful fighters but they’re not necessarily crowd pleasers, at least not on the level of boxer-punchers like Davis, Garcia, Naoya Inoue, Jaron Ennis and their powerful ilk.

That’s not criticism of Haney and Fulton. Every fighter has his or her own strengths, which they must emphasize to have success in the ring. That’s what Haney and Fulton do; they use their skill to defuse whatever their opponents attempt to do.

The problem (if that’s what it is) is that fans love knockouts, which Haney and Fulton can’t deliver consistently.

I always think of the late trainer Emanuel Steward when I touch upon this subject. He pushed his fighters to take the risks necessary to stop their opponents because he understood the marketing value of knockouts.

Am I suggesting that Haney and Fulton should abandon their styles and become brawlers? Absolutely not. That would be foolish. I am saying that they might be wise to fight more aggressively, particularly late in fights they’re dominating.

Fulton could’ve shifted into another gear against Roman. Haney could’ve done the same against Kambosos, although he probably was wise to be cautious in this instance because of the massive stakes.

The fans will continue to watch and admire Haney and Fulton if they win decision after decision. They’ll fall in love with the pair if they can take out elite opponents.

 

WORSE

Kambosos was embarrassed by Haney in the ring. Then he embarrassed himself at the post-fight news conference.

Let’s be clear: Haney made Kambosos look like an ordinary fighter, controlling the bout with his jab and defensive skills that made the Aussie look utterly lost only one fight after his career-defining upset of Teofimo Lopez.

Judge Zoltan Enyedi (Hungary) and Benoit Roussel (Canada) somehow found four rounds to give Kambosos, which was an insult to Haney. Shame on them. Pawel Kardyni (Poland) gave Kambosos two rounds, one more than I gave him.

Indeed, victories in fights of that magnitude don’t get much more one-sided.

Still, at the post-fight news conference, Kambosos declared that he deserved the victory. Eyes rolled worldwide when he said, “I thought the fight was very close. From what I’ve been told I outlanded him, I outpunched him. You saw the fight. He had a jab but there wasn’t much else. I think he might’ve landed one or two right hands but that’s it.

“There wasn’t really nothing else. My body doesn’t feel like I’ve been through a 12-round war like in the Lopez fight.”

It wasn’t a war because Haney didn’t allow that. Why go to war when you can dominate your opponent in other ways?

And Kambosos evidently wants more. He said he will exercise the rematch clause in their contract, which might be a horrible idea. The now-former champion doesn’t have the ability to beat Haney, meaning the same thing is going to happen.

I don’t blame Kambosos for wanting a second fight. He can’t pass up an opportunity to fight for an undisputed championship (assuming Haney doesn’t lose one of his four belts somehow), for which he’d be paid handsomely.

At the same time, back-to-back losses will make Kambosos seem like the one-hit wonder he appears to be.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Super middleweight contender David Morrell (7-0, 6 KOs) gave another strong, if imperfect performance on the Fulton-Roman card. The Minneapolis-based Cuban, fighting aggressively from the start, quickly broke down Kalvin Henderson (15-2-1, 11 KOs) and stopped the Texan in the fourth round. It was a strong statement from an excellent all-around fighter who has begun to call out the top 168-pounders. At the same time it might not have been wise to seek an early knockout. The strategy could’ve backfired because the one thing the limited Henderson has is power. Morrell has shown that he can take his time and still get knockouts. What’s the point of rushing things? He is still in the process of maturing. … Two Australians had spectacular nights in front of the home-country crowd in Melbourne. First, 43-year-old Lucas Browne (31-3, 27 KOS) put Kiwi Junior Fa (19-2, 10 KOs) away 1 minute, 58 seconds into their scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout to pump life into his career. And then Jason Moloney (24-2, 19 KOs) put Aston Palicte (28-5-1, 23 KOs) down twice and stopped the experienced Filipino in Round 3 of their bantamweight bout to bolster his position as a legitimate contender. Moloney’s twin, Andrew Moloney (24-2, 16 KOs), also delivered. He stopped Alexander Espinoza (21-4-2, 8 KOs) in the second round of a scheduled eight-round junior bantamweight bout.

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Good, bad, worse: Devin Haney, Stephen Fulton Jr. give boxing clinics

Good, bad, worse: Devin Haney and Stephen Fulton Jr. gave boxing clinics this past weekend.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

GOOD

One thing I learned a long time ago is that the more talented combatant generally has his or her hand raised.

That was what played out on in separate parts of the world this past weekend, as the unusually skillful Devin Haney and Stephen Fulton Jr. outclassed elite opponents to win one-sided decisions in important fights.

Haney gave a career defining performance, giving overmatched Aussie George Kambosos Jr. an embarrassing boxing lesson to win a wide decision in front of more than 40,000 disappointed fans at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne.

The victory gave Haney the undisputed lightweight championship and validated the hype that has surrounded the 23-year-old for years. He’s as good as billed. And he’s just getting started.

Haney (28-0, 15 KOs) might have to fight Kambosos again because of a rematch clause in their contract. If it happens, Haney will win again. Then we can look forward to genuine super fights against the likes of Gervonta Davis, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Ryan Garcia.

Fulton (21-0, 8 KOs) might’ve been the best fighter in action over the weekend, which is saying something given Haney’s performance.

The Philadelphian tangled with a better boxer than Kambosos – Daniel Roman – yet defeated him just as convincingly in defense of his 122-pound titles in Minneapolis, losing only one round on one card.

The only way to give Fulton any kind of trouble is to maul him, as the freakish Brandon Figueroa did last year. It’s difficult to imagine anyone outboxing this special talent.

Fulton’s problem might be finding suitable foils. He’s now targeting Murodjon Akhmadaliev, who holds the other two junior featherweight titles. Then he and his team are going to have to be creative if they want to get him big fights.

He’s just so much better than everyone else near or at his weight, with Figueroa being the only possible exception.

 

BAD

Stephen Fulton Jr. (left) shows off his defensive skills against Daniel Roman. Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions

Fans who admire pure boxing exhibitions had a fantastic weekend, as Haney and Fulton gave clinics on the sweet science. Those who crave action … well, they might’ve been disappointed.

Haney and Fulton are superb, resourceful fighters but they’re not necessarily crowd pleasers, at least not on the level of boxer-punchers like Davis, Garcia, Naoya Inoue, Jaron Ennis and their powerful ilk.

That’s not criticism of Haney and Fulton. Every fighter has his or her own strengths, which they must emphasize to have success in the ring. That’s what Haney and Fulton do; they use their skill to defuse whatever their opponents attempt to do.

The problem (if that’s what it is) is that fans love knockouts, which Haney and Fulton can’t deliver consistently.

I always think of the late trainer Emanuel Steward when I touch upon this subject. He pushed his fighters to take the risks necessary to stop their opponents because he understood the marketing value of knockouts.

Am I suggesting that Haney and Fulton should abandon their styles and become brawlers? Absolutely not. That would be foolish. I am saying that they might be wise to fight more aggressively, particularly late in fights they’re dominating.

Fulton could’ve shifted into another gear against Roman. Haney could’ve done the same against Kambosos, although he probably was wise to be cautious in this instance because of the massive stakes.

The fans will continue to watch and admire Haney and Fulton if they win decision after decision. They’ll fall in love with the pair if they can take out elite opponents.

 

WORSE

Kambosos was embarrassed by Haney in the ring. Then he embarrassed himself at the post-fight news conference.

Let’s be clear: Haney made Kambosos look like an ordinary fighter, controlling the bout with his jab and defensive skills that made the Aussie look utterly lost only one fight after his career-defining upset of Teofimo Lopez.

Judge Zoltan Enyedi (Hungary) and Benoit Roussel (Canada) somehow found four rounds to give Kambosos, which was an insult to Haney. Shame on them. Pawel Kardyni (Poland) gave Kambosos two rounds, one more than I gave him.

Indeed, victories in fights of that magnitude don’t get much more one-sided.

Still, at the post-fight news conference, Kambosos declared that he deserved the victory. Eyes rolled worldwide when he said, “I thought the fight was very close. From what I’ve been told I outlanded him, I outpunched him. You saw the fight. He had a jab but there wasn’t much else. I think he might’ve landed one or two right hands but that’s it.

“There wasn’t really nothing else. My body doesn’t feel like I’ve been through a 12-round war like in the Lopez fight.”

It wasn’t a war because Haney didn’t allow that. Why go to war when you can dominate your opponent in other ways?

And Kambosos evidently wants more. He said he will exercise the rematch clause in their contract, which might be a horrible idea. The now-former champion doesn’t have the ability to beat Haney, meaning the same thing is going to happen.

I don’t blame Kambosos for wanting a second fight. He can’t pass up an opportunity to fight for an undisputed championship (assuming Haney doesn’t lose one of his four belts somehow), for which he’d be paid handsomely.

At the same time, back-to-back losses will make Kambosos seem like the one-hit wonder he appears to be.

 

RABBIT PUNCHES

Super middleweight contender David Morrell (7-0, 6 KOs) gave another strong, if imperfect performance on the Fulton-Roman card. The Minneapolis-based Cuban, fighting aggressively from the start, quickly broke down Kalvin Henderson (15-2-1, 11 KOs) and stopped the Texan in the fourth round. It was a strong statement from an excellent all-around fighter who has begun to call out the top 168-pounders. At the same time it might not have been wise to seek an early knockout. The strategy could’ve backfired because the one thing the limited Henderson has is power. Morrell has shown that he can take his time and still get knockouts. What’s the point of rushing things? He is still in the process of maturing. … Two Australians had spectacular nights in front of the home-country crowd in Melbourne. First, 43-year-old Lucas Browne (31-3, 27 KOS) put Kiwi Junior Fa (19-2, 10 KOs) away 1 minute, 58 seconds into their scheduled 10-round heavyweight bout to pump life into his career. And then Jason Moloney (24-2, 19 KOs) put Aston Palicte (28-5-1, 23 KOs) down twice and stopped the experienced Filipino in Round 3 of their bantamweight bout to bolster his position as a legitimate contender. Moloney’s twin, Andrew Moloney (24-2, 16 KOs), also delivered. He stopped Alexander Espinoza (21-4-2, 8 KOs) in the second round of a scheduled eight-round junior bantamweight bout.

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Stephen Fulton outboxes Daniel Roman to win wide decision

Stephen Fulton outboxed Daniel Roman to win a wide decision on Saturday in Minneapolis.

Stephen Fulton was the better technician.

The gifted two-belt 122-pound titleholder was a step ahead of capable challenger Daniel Roman from beginning to end Saturday in Minneapolis, winning by a wide unanimous decision.

The scores were 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109, meaning Roman won only one round on one card.

Fulton (21-0, 8 KOs) controlled the fight with his swift movement and jab, which made it difficult for the normally busy Roman (29-4-1, 10 KOs) to throw as many punches as he normally does or land his shots consistently.

Fulton didn’t land a tremendous number of punches, either, However, he connected on more than enough of the jabs and power shots — many counter punches — to win the majority of rounds convincingly.

To his credit, Roman, a former unified champion with great pride, tried to pick up his pace as the fight progressed — and had some success — but he never really solved the riddle Fulton posed.

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Stephen Fulton outboxes Daniel Roman to win wide decision

Stephen Fulton outboxed Daniel Roman to win a wide decision on Saturday in Minneapolis.

Stephen Fulton was the better technician.

The gifted two-belt 122-pound titleholder was a step ahead of capable challenger Daniel Roman from beginning to end Saturday in Minneapolis, winning by a wide unanimous decision.

The scores were 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109, meaning Roman won only one round on one card.

Fulton (21-0, 8 KOs) controlled the fight with his swift movement and jab, which made it difficult for the normally busy Roman (29-4-1, 10 KOs) to throw as many punches as he normally does or land his shots consistently.

Fulton didn’t land a tremendous number of punches, either, However, he connected on more than enough of the jabs and power shots — many counter punches — to win the majority of rounds convincingly.

To his credit, Roman, a former unified champion with great pride, tried to pick up his pace as the fight progressed — and had some success — but he never really solved the riddle Fulton posed.

[lawrence-related id=30674]

Stephen Fulton, Daniel Roman on weight for junior featherweight title fight

Stephen Fulton and Daniel Roman on Friday came in under the junior featherweight limit for their title fight Saturday.

Two-belt titleholder Stephen Fulton and challenger Daniel Roman on Friday came in under the junior featherweight limit of 122 pounds for their fight Saturday in Minneapolis.

Both men weighed 121.5 pounds.

Fulton (20-0, 8 KOs) is coming off a narrow decision over Brandon Figueroa in November, which gave the Philadelphian two of the four major belts.

Roman (29-3-1, 10 KOs) outpointed Ricardo Franco in May of last year. The Los Angeles fighter is a former unified 122-pound champion.

Here are the weights for the other featured fights:

  • David Morrell (166.5) vs. Kalvin Henderson (167.5), super middleweights.
  • Karl Dargan (138.5) vs. Alfred Santiago (141.2), junior welterweights.

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Stephen Fulton, Daniel Roman on weight for junior featherweight title fight

Stephen Fulton and Daniel Roman on Friday came in under the junior featherweight limit for their title fight Saturday.

Two-belt titleholder Stephen Fulton and challenger Daniel Roman on Friday came in under the junior featherweight limit of 122 pounds for their fight Saturday in Minneapolis.

Both men weighed 121.5 pounds.

Fulton (20-0, 8 KOs) is coming off a narrow decision over Brandon Figueroa in November, which gave the Philadelphian two of the four major belts.

Roman (29-3-1, 10 KOs) outpointed Ricardo Franco in May of last year. The Los Angeles fighter is a former unified 122-pound champion.

Here are the weights for the other featured fights:

  • David Morrell (166.5) vs. Kalvin Henderson (167.5), super middleweights.
  • Karl Dargan (138.5) vs. Alfred Santiago (141.2), junior welterweights.

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Stephen Fulton Jr.: ‘I always step up to the occasion’

Stephen Fulton Jr. said, “I always step up to the occasion,” going into his title defense against Daniel Roman on Saturday in Minneapolis.

Stephen Fulton Jr. has been the kind of fighter you wanted to avoid, slick, resourceful, durable. One of the hardest outs in boxing.

Now things are different. Fulton is a unified 122-pound champion, meaning potential opponents in his division who dream of greatness must go through him if they hope to get to the top.

Next up: Daniel Roman, his foe on Saturday at The Armory in Minneapolis (Showtime).

Fulton had hoped to face Roman when the latter was a unified beltholder a few years ago but the fight never happened as Roman would lose his titles to Murodjon Akhmadaliev.

“It feels good to be in the position and be the hunted,” Fulton said. “It feels good to be in this position because I’ve called him out when he had his titles and they didn’t look my direction. But then when they didn’t have the titles they looked my direction because I had it.

“Now I’m giving him the opportunity that he didn’t give me.”

Fulton (20-0, 8 KOs) hasn’t taken an easy road to get where he is. As he pointed out, his last four opponents were unbeaten.

The Philadelphian stopped Isaac Avelar in 2019, outpointed Arnold Khegai the following year, decisioned tough Angelo Leo to win the WBO title in January of last year and added the WBC belt by narrowly outpointing Brandon Figueroa last November.

The Figueroa fight was a true test of his ability and resolve.

“You’ve all seen I can fight on the inside, I can fight on the outside,” Fulton said. “I can fight whichever way I want. So how I wake up Saturday morning is going to determine how I fight Saturday night.

“I can do whatever I want. I don’t have one style to me.”

Fulton is versatile but he’s a boxer first, as is Roman (29-3-1, 10 KOs). Figueroa’s relentless pressure posed a significant problem for the champion, who won a majority decision . Roman’s polished skills could present different challenges.

Again, though, he hasn’t taken an easy path toward recognition as one of the best in the business. This is nothing new for him.

“The last four fighters I faced were undefeated, so I’m used to this road,” he said. “I always step up to the occasion. I always show up when I get to these stages. My whole life has been like that. Right now I am living in the moment. I haven’t been looking past anything. We’re living for today.

“So when Saturday comes, I’m going to live for it and have fun, and I’m going to enjoy it. I’m going to enjoy defeating him.”

[lawrence-related id=30608,30594,26337]

Stephen Fulton Jr.: ‘I always step up to the occasion’

Stephen Fulton Jr. said, “I always step up to the occasion,” going into his title defense against Daniel Roman on Saturday in Minneapolis.

Stephen Fulton Jr. has been the kind of fighter you wanted to avoid, slick, resourceful, durable. One of the hardest outs in boxing.

Now things are different. Fulton is a unified 122-pound champion, meaning potential opponents in his division who dream of greatness must go through him if they hope to get to the top.

Next up: Daniel Roman, his foe on Saturday at The Armory in Minneapolis (Showtime).

Fulton had hoped to face Roman when the latter was a unified beltholder a few years ago but the fight never happened as Roman would lose his titles to Murodjon Akhmadaliev.

“It feels good to be in the position and be the hunted,” Fulton said. “It feels good to be in this position because I’ve called him out when he had his titles and they didn’t look my direction. But then when they didn’t have the titles they looked my direction because I had it.

“Now I’m giving him the opportunity that he didn’t give me.”

Fulton (20-0, 8 KOs) hasn’t taken an easy road to get where he is. As he pointed out, his last four opponents were unbeaten.

The Philadelphian stopped Isaac Avelar in 2019, outpointed Arnold Khegai the following year, decisioned tough Angelo Leo to win the WBO title in January of last year and added the WBC belt by narrowly outpointing Brandon Figueroa last November.

The Figueroa fight was a true test of his ability and resolve.

“You’ve all seen I can fight on the inside, I can fight on the outside,” Fulton said. “I can fight whichever way I want. So how I wake up Saturday morning is going to determine how I fight Saturday night.

“I can do whatever I want. I don’t have one style to me.”

Fulton is versatile but he’s a boxer first, as is Roman (29-3-1, 10 KOs). Figueroa’s relentless pressure posed a significant problem for the champion, who won a majority decision . Roman’s polished skills could present different challenges.

Again, though, he hasn’t taken an easy path toward recognition as one of the best in the business. This is nothing new for him.

“The last four fighters I faced were undefeated, so I’m used to this road,” he said. “I always step up to the occasion. I always show up when I get to these stages. My whole life has been like that. Right now I am living in the moment. I haven’t been looking past anything. We’re living for today.

“So when Saturday comes, I’m going to live for it and have fun, and I’m going to enjoy it. I’m going to enjoy defeating him.”

[lawrence-related id=30608,30594,26337]