A lot of people have been impressed with the accomplishments of lightweight contender Gervonta Davis. Rolando Romero, Davis’ opponent on pay-per-view Saturday, isn’t one of them.
Take Davis’ decision victory over Isaac Cruz in December, in which he overcame what he said was an injured hand to win a close decision in a 12-round bout. Romero’s take on that fight? Davis doesn’t like strong, aggressive opponents, like he is.
Davis, he said, “is not that impressive.”
“That fight showed he’s afraid of punchers,” Romero told Boxing Junkie, referring to the Davis-Cruz fight. “He’s afraid someone will take his s— and beat the s— out of him. … He’s going to get knocked out quick.
“If he makes it out of the first round, he’ll be blessed.”
Yes, Romero (14-0, 12 KOs) is confident in spite of his relative lack of experience.
The 26-year-old native of Las Vegas reportedly had only 35 amateur fights, meaning he’s taken part in 49 organized bouts in total. Davis, an outstanding amateur, is closing in on a reported 250 total amateur and professional fights.
Romero narrowly got past a stubborn Jackson Marinez in August 2020 but stopped Avery Sparrow and Anthony Yigit in his subsequent two bouts to earn a shot at arguably the most-talented 135-pounder in the world on Saturday.
And he’s had more than enough time to prepare. He was scheduled to face Davis on Dec. 5 but was pulled from the show – and replaced by Cruz – as a result of sexual assault allegations levelled against him. No charges were filed.
He said he has essentially been training since before the December fight.
“It’s been a blessing,” he said of the extra time. “Not everyone gets a second chance. Am I more ready than last time? It’s like night and day. I’m a completely different person. I wasn’t eating potato chips and all that stuff. I spent time working out and focusing on my craft.”
Romero made time to watch Dmitry Bivol’s upset unanimous-decision victory over Canelo Alvarez on May 7.
He has always thought that he has what it takes to beat Davis. Bivol-Alvarez merely underscored the reality that even highly regarded fighters like Alvarez – or Davis, this case – are vulnerable against the right opponent.
Romero believes he’s that opponent, in part because he’s the naturally bigger man.
“[Bivol-Alvarez] just shows that anything can happen in boxing,” he said. “They thought Canelo would win. And some people think this little m—–f—– (Davis) is going to beat me. … I’m obviously the bigger puncher.
“It’s going to be beneficial to the sport of boxing when I win.”
What does he mean by that?
Davis (26-0, 24 KOs) is one of the biggest stars in the sport, as evidenced by his social media following. That’s why he has become a pay-per-view fighter.
Romero contends that Davis is popular primarily because of his association with his promoter, Floyd Mayweather. He believes he has the genuine star power that his better-known opponent lacks.
“Why am I promoting the show? he said, a reference to the many interviews he has conducted. “Why do you need a dude with 14 fights and zero amateur background to carry the show? Shouldn’t it be the superstar?
“He ain’t doing s—. I’m the one building the fight, I’m the one trying to be a star.”
He went on: “Floyd promoted the hell out of him, him being a champion, being a star. They all tune in because of Floyd. Tank has no personality, he’s slow. He has a hard time speaking. I’m better for the sport of boxing. That should be obvious.”
We’ll see whether he’s the better fighter on Saturday.”
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