Danny Roman Defends NABA Title in Corona and Other Fight Chatter

By David A. Avila

When Danny Roman steps in between the ropes at the Corona outdoor boxing venue to face Mexico’s Enrique Quevedo he’s following a successful path paved by many elite fighters.

Roman (19-2-1, 7 KOs) defends the NABA super bantamweight title against Baja California’s under-rated Quevedo (16-7-1, 10 KOs) on Friday Aug. 26, at Omega Products International. The Thompson Boxing Promotions card will not be televised. But many eyes will be looking.

Boxing experts and knowledgeable fans know that summer evening fight cards at Omega have produced a number of today’s best pugilists. Names like Tim “Desert Storm” Bradley, Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera and Ruslan Provodnikov all cut their teeth in numerous prize fights at the outdoor venue.

Aside from the wonderful climate under the stars, many of the fights end up with a fighter or two seeing stars in brutal engagements at Omega.

Roman (pictured throwing a straight right) can expect a similar engagement.

The Los Angeles native has been on a tear as he seems to be entering a higher level on the boxing stratosphere. Recent wins over veterans such as Christian Esquivel, Ramiro Robles, and Erik Ruiz have proven that Roman understands the necessary adjustments needed among the upper tier super bantamweights.

California is filled with talent at 122 pounds.

In the super bantamweight landscape prizefighters like Diego De La Hoya, Manuel Avila, and Jesse Magdaleno stand ready to pounce on any unsuspecting challengers.

Quevedo, 32, has also feasted on unsuspecting contenders in the past like his knockout win over Puerto Rico’s Yoandris Salinas. Before that, he defeated former world title challenger Christopher Martin.

“Quevedo is a tough boxer. He doesn’t back down against anyone and he’s always in excellent shape. We’ve both beat Chris Martin, who is a savvy boxer-puncher,” said Roman, 26. “It’s going to be a good, tough fight, one that I’m ready for. There’s no doubt I’m going to beat him.”

Roman will be joined on the fight card by Northern California’s LaRon Mitchell (13-0, 13 KOs).

Mitchell, 36, is a school teacher by day and a prizefighter by night. The undefeated heavyweight from San Francisco faces a stiff test on Friday when he meets Mexico’s Mario Heredia (13-2, 11 KOs).

With heavyweights there are no margins for mistakes.

“He’s a hell of a fighter. He’s a natural boxer, which means he can adapt and make changes on the fly. He probably would have been more competitive against Andrey Fedosov had he maintained his weight a bit better,” said Mitchell about Heredia. “That doesn’t change the fact that he’s got real talent. I’m expecting a tough fight from him.”

Omega Products International is located at 1681 California Ave. in Corona. For more information call (714) 935-0900. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Other fight chatter

The motion picture “Hands of Stone” opens nationwide on Friday, Aug. 26. The film depicts the life and times of boxing legend Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran who had epic battles against Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler and Iran Barkley. Duran was recently in Big Bear where he trained Sugar Shane Mosley for his last fight this past May in a losing cause. “I’m very excited about it (the movie),” said Duran while in Big Bear.

Michigan’s Claressa Shields won her second Olympic gold medal becoming the first American to win back to back gold medals in boxing. Shields, 21, defeated Netherland’s Nouchka Fontijin by unanimous decision in their middleweight fight on Sunday. Shakur Stevenson won silver in the bantamweight division and Nico Hernandez won bronze in the light flyweight division.

Southern California’s Olympian boxer Mikaela Mayer was unsuccessful in her bid to win a medal in the Rio Olympics. She lost to Russia’s Anastasilia Beliakova by decision but there were questions regarding the judging throughout the tournament. Several boxing judges and officials were removed from the games by the governing group AIBA after numerous controversial decisions. “Executive Board members have decided to reassign with immediate effect the current AIBA Executive Director to a new role within the organization,” stated a press release from AIBA.

Fights on Television

Sat. Spike 9 p.m. Robert Guerrero (33-4-1) vs. David Peralta (25-2-1) from Anaheim, CA.

Sat. UniMas, 11 p.m. Miguel Marriaga (23-1) vs. Guy Robb (18-1) from Fallon, NV.