HOW A SHAM 140LB WORLD TITLE FIGHT WAS CREATED WITH ONE OF THE MOST SUSPICIOUS STOPPAGES IN BOXING HISTORY
Editorial By Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media Head Boxing Correspondent
Las Vegas, NV (May 16th, 2023)– An extraordinarily confusing, bizarre, and mysterious chain of events began last week when World Boxing Association southpaw World Super Lightweight champion Alberto Puello, 21-0 with 10 knockouts, Las Vegas, Nevada by way of San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic, tested positive by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) for clomiphene, a banned substance, and was stripped of his 140 pounds WBA world title.
The WBA downgraded Puello to the status of champion in recess, pending the testing of Puello’s ‘B’ sample for clomiphene. Romero, who lost his last fight in a lower weight class, somehow got this title shot over Barroso, the top ranked WBA contender in the 140 pound division, raising eyebrows.
A chain of events then took place in which the scheduled Showtime Championship Boxing showdown at Chelsea Ballroom at the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas between Puello and WBA challenger Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero, age 27, 14-1 with knockouts, Las Vegas, Nevada, got scrapped. Instead, Romero was slated to fight for the vacant World Boxing Association World Super Lightweight title against last minute Venezuelan southpaw substitute challenger Ismael ‘El Tigre’ Barroso, age 40, 24-3-2 with 22 knockouts, Miami, Florida, by way of El Tigre, Venezuela.
Romero made a subsequent statement regarding Puello’s alleged use of Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs). “It’s just cheating and it’s half-assing sh!t, you know. I hav been tested five times by VADA during (my) training camp (for the title bout with Puello). This is not a normal sport. It’s not (like) oh, I’m gonna play basketball. Maybe my worst injury will be I twist my ACL, or maybe soccer. No, it’s I’m gonna punch you in the face and leave you brain dead. That PED sh!t is no joke because you’re literally harming somebody’s health. (Boxing) It’s not like other sports. In other sports, you get caught with that stuff, it’s a joke. If you get caught in boxing with that sh!t, you shouldn’t be able to box ever again, because at that point you’re hurting somebody’s health. You could kill somebody. People die in boxing all the damn time. (PEDs make it worst for the person using them, and who they are fighting when they cheat).”
What was supposed to be a tune up evolved into a nightmare for Romero, as Barroso decked Romero in the third round, and led on the scorecards going into the ninth round, 78-73, 77-74, and 76-75. If Barroso won only one of the remaining four rounds, Barroso would have still won a decision on the scorecards, even with the controversial ninth round knockdown. Barroso was landing the harder blows, when referee Tony Weeks, in one of the most controversial decisions in boxing history, and thus far worst decision of 2023. The bout was stopped at 2:41 in round 9. A 10:1 betting favorite, Romero trailed 78-73 on the scorecard of veteran judge Steve Weisfeld.
A bizarre attempt to give Romero a gift 10-8 round to try to steal the bout occurred at 48 seconds of the ninth round, when Romero blatantly shoved Barroso to the canvas, which was mysteriously scored a knockdown by referee Tony Weeks. Barroso took the count on one knee before arising. Two minutes later, during a competitive exchange in which Barroso landed while slipping the punches of Romero with Romero somehow became a world champion undeservedly.
What happened here was Romero apparently received a gift TKO since he used to be Ryan Garcia’s sparring partner. The forces that be behind the scenes want to immediately set up a Pay-Per-View mega fight between Romero and Ryan Garcia since they have a history together, which potentially could generate over one million plus Pay-per-View buys since Romero is a good salesman with the microphone. Rollie is one of the last remaining fighters who can sell in the ‘TMT’ The Floyd Mayweather Jr. money stable which is advised by Al Haymon, Sam Watson, and Premier Boxing Champions.
Romero’s trainer Cronwell ‘Bullet’ Gordon was pro-Romero in his remarks. “Honestly, I didn’t like the stoppage, but I’m going to tell you something. The Nevada State Athletic Commission is already under some pressure about people getting hurt in the ring unnecessarily. If Rolly had kept going (for another) a round or two, he would have killed that Dude (Barroso), because once you’re tired, you’re done. SO what did they (the NSAC) want? Did they want Rolando to kill him? And then (if) he knocks him (Barroso) out, they will say, oh, he beat up (on) an old guy. So what are the kudos here?”
The kudos are Barroso was beating Romero up, and Romero got gifted a false knockdown and a gift TKO victory in a division where, coming in on a lightweight loss, he was not even a justifiable challenger and neve belonged in the WBA world title bout in the first place. Look, in December 2022 in Tottenham, the British allowed Daniel Dubois to get knocked down three times in the first round by Kevin Lerena, and then continue in violation of World Boxing Association World Heavyweight title bout rules mandating an automatic TKO, finish the round, then give Dubois the victory after Lerena got dropped twice in the third round and the third round was already over.
Romero wants a rematch with Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis (at 140 pounds, not 135), and a bout with Ryan Garcia, who lost to Davis by seventh round knockout last month at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. What boxing has here is a Romero, Davis and Garcia triangle. In this reporter’s view, Davis is ready to ‘mop the floor’ at 140 and 147 pounds, move up and fight better names at this point. Romero may need Garcia, but Tank Davis does not need them, as Tank has demonstrated he is worthy at better opposition moving forward.
As Romero never deserved a WBA title shot at 140, having lost his last bout to Davis at 135, as Garcia lost his recent bout to Davis at 135, what Romero is doing here is a bang up job marketing his name and his next potential big money bout with Ryan Garcia. Whoever wins between Romero versus Garcia can redeem their career as a boxing star moving forward. The loser will become used goods.
To this reporter, Romero is a good salesman with the microphone in 2023, and boxing needs publicity for continuance. Romero’s performance against Barroso, though, did not fool this reporter, any of the other boxing critics out there, and especially did not fool Tank Davis, who this reporter is sure would be happy to move up to 140 pounds and beat up Romero again, it is just Romero-Davis II is not the bout of excitement for this reporter. Since Romero versus Garcia has been set up, let the promoters have their day. Based on Romero’s performance against Barroso, and Romero and Garcia’s performances against Tank Davis, both Romero and Garcia should go find a place to hide. Look, Badou Jack, age 39, would be happy to defend his World Boxing Council World Cruiserweight title against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez for a nice paycheck. For the promoters, it’s all about the money and making sure the fight sells. If Romero can sell Romero versus Garcia, so be it.
The VADA drug tests turned an otherwise uneventful WBA world title bout into a mess, and without the ‘B’ sample we still are not sure of the final outcome. That is, not yet. We are sure of the effort behind the scenes to insure Romero got the win, no matter if it was against Puello or Barroso. Romero versus Garcia was already in the works before this bout, and the bottom line was the bout was anticipated on the table, regardless of the Romero opponent. Unraveling the mess of the 140 pounds division will take time. Eight of the BoxRec top ten super lightweight fighters are undefeated or one loss fighters. The top ranked 140 pounders include Regis Prograis, Teofimo Lopez, Jose Carlos Ramirez, Arnold Barboza Jr. Gary Antuanne Russell , Andy Hiraoka, Richardson Hitchins, Sandor Martin, Brandun Lee, Yvan Mendy and Liam Paro, all of whom appear to be more deserved of the WBA opportunity which Romero somehow received.
What is your opinion of this fight and stoppage? What should the sport of boxing do moving forward to prevent this from happening again? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.Â
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