Roman earns solid UD win over Lopez

0
1446

Jose RomanORANGE, Calif. (June 29, 2015) – In the “New Blood” main event, lightweight Jose Roman (21-1, 14 KO’s) soundly defeated veteran Marco Antonio Lopez (24-7, 15 KO’s) through eight rounds in what amounted to a satisfying win for the Los Angeles area native.

“Lopez came in with a lot of experience against world class competition,” said Roman, who won with scores 78-73, 79-72, 77-74.

“I dropped him in the second, and from there I was able to settle into a nice rhythm.”

It was a left hook upstairs that downed Lopez. Roman appeared to grow stronger as the fight continued. He consistently landed heavy punches in virtually every round.

Lopez, for his part, countered nicely and backed up Roman on several occasions, but the veteran from Mexico didn’t have enough to win on Friday night from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Cesar Villarraga (8-0, 4 KO’s), a former Colombian Olympian, thoroughly outpointed veteran Jose Araiza (34-13-1, 25 KO’s) in the “New Blood” co-main event. Villarraga started slow, but eventually picked up momentum in the middle and late rounds. Scores read 60-54 and 59-55 twice.

It took heavyweight LaRon Mitchell (8-0, 8 KO’s) about two-and-a-half rounds to figure out Roy McCrary (4-4, 3 KO’s), but once he did, the San Francisco native put his knockout power on full display. Mitchell, who is also a teacher at St. Elizabeth Elementary in Oakland, connected on a combination in the middle of the third round that dropped the heavier McCrary.

McCrary would get up, but Mitchell wasn’t done. With the crowd on its feet and salivating for a knockout, Mitchell put the pressure on and connected with a left to the chin, just before the bell. McCrary crumbled to the floor, and Mitchell went home with a third round knockout win, his eighth in a row.

“I’m getting more and more comfortable in the ring,” Mitchell said. “He was a little bit awkward, but I was able to outmaneuver him and land combinations in the third.”

Junior featherweights Fernando Fuentes (6-5, 1 KO) and Joe Perez (5-4-1, 4 KO’s) entertained the sold out crowd by routinely engaging one another in the middle of the ring.

Fuentes, from Hemet, Calif., touched up Perez to the tune of a unanimous decision win with scores 39-37, and 40-36 twice. Perez was unable to keep a tight guard throughout the fight, which made it easier for Fuentes to find seams and land telling blows.

Opening the “New Blood” card was crowd favorite Humberto Rubalcalva (3-0, 3 KO’s) of Westminster, Calif. He smashed his way to another knockout win. It was Washington native Isaiah Najera (0-1) that took the beating this time.

Rubalcava connected flush with a left hook for the first knockdown. The second was a straight right that spelled the end for Najera. The referee stopped the fight at the 2:36 mark of the first round.

Next up for Thompson Boxing, Darleys Perez (32-1, 20 KOs) defends his WBA World lightweight championship when he meets Anthony Crolla (29-4-2, 11 KOs) in Crolla’s hometown of Manchester, U.K., on Saturday, July 18.

Perez, who is from Colombia, is co-promoted by Thompson Boxing and Gary Shaw Productions.

Later in July, Thompson Boxing returns to the Doubletree Ontario on Friday, July 24. Full details will be announced soon.

“New Blood” was presented by Thompson Boxing Promotions and sponsored by Lucas Oil, in association with LATV Networks.

SHARE
Previous articleMalignaggi: Russell is too old to ref
Next articleBeibut Shumenov vs B.J. Flores Set For 7/25
The team at Thaboxingvoice.com set out with a mission to create an online environment focused on boxing that voiced the opinions, concerns, and attitudes of you, the people. Doing our best to bring you the answers you want to know, and getting the exclusives that those other guys cant. We are always working hard to get the inside scoop inside and outside of the ring. If it’s happening in Boxing, we will tell you about it! You can find us at the fights all over the place with our nationwide team of correspondents, and wide reach around the globe we have the tools and the team to bring you coverage from all the fights. Whether it is in a gym in Jersey or on the floor at MGM Grand. No fight to big or small for Tha Boxing Voice. Our experienced team combined has over 50+ years of boxing experience to bring to the table. Some of us growing up ringside, some of us growing up in the ring, no matter the situation we are all true boxing fans first and reporters second. This can be found evident on our twice-weekly podcast. We work hard to bring you interviews that answer your questions and guest who will spark your interest from all areas of the boxing world. Writers, Trainers, Promoters and the most relevant fighters before and after some of their biggest fights. We are working 24/7 to get the information to you, the listeners. We work to form a personal relationship with our listeners and our guests making our show more intimate and giving a raw, uncut and real aspect that you will be hard pressed to find elsewhere. We are Tha Boxing Voice, The Voice of you, The People. Follow @boxingvoiceshow