Last night was not easy for Rolando Romero. His fight against Isaac Cruz went against him and then some. He not only took a major dent in his record but also lost his WBA Superlight title to ‘The Pitbull’. However, the scorecard had a story that many disagreed with, including Claressa Shields.
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Cruz took control of the fight right from the beginning. He broke through the defense of ‘Rolly’ early, leading it with a left hook to the temple in the opening round. That set the premise for the fight, Rolly’s first defense since he bagged the title last year after beating Ismael Borroso. Consistent throughout, Cruz dropped Las Vegas-based Rolly in the 8th round, winning the WBA title through a technical knockout. While the judges scored resoundingly in favor of him, one stuck with Rolly, causing major havoc post-fight.
When the scorecard of the Cruz vs. Rolly fight emerged, the numbers on it shocked fans. While two judges scored 63-69 and 64-68, both in favor of Cruz, Chris Flores scored 66-65, in favor of Rolly. If the fight had not ended in a knockout, and if these scores continued, we would still see the 25-year-old Mexican fighter as the winner, however, through a split decision.
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Multiple folks remained unimpressed with the judge who scored in favor of Rolly. Boxer, Ishé Oluwa Kamau Ali Smith, wrote on his X, “Whatever judge had Rolly up needs to be banned from boxing. F*cking ridiculous.” Concurring with what Ali Smith expressed, undisputed middleweight champion, Shields also went off on the judge.
While the judge whos decision did not align with popular opinion could demoralize Cruz, the fighter stood strong on his ground after the victory. Here is what he had to say.
Going into the fight, he was prepared for the worst to befall. That preparation pulled him through and got him the win. He further explained, “I was prepared for this. I wasn’t here to just fight. I was here to terminate him…I did my talking right here in the ring. And I did this not just for me, but for everybody that is here at T-Mobile Arena. There’s going to be a Mexican champ at 140 pounds for a long time.”
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The fighter has been chasing a rematch against Gervonta Davis, to whom he lost in 2021 on points. By winning the championship last night, he cemented his position in the lighter-weight divisions stronger than ever. Hence, he inches closer to the ‘Tank’ fight. Will that be where he’s headed next?
