Danny Roman (14-2, 5 KOs) came into his “Path to Glory” main event with six straight wins and managed to push that mark to seven with a one-sided, 8-round unanimous decision win against the more seasoned Chris Martin (28-6-3, 9 KOs).
Roman-Martin formed the centerpiece of Thompson Boxing Promotions fifteenth year anniversary show from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif. It’s the very same venue where Josesito Lopez, Timothy Bradley, and Chris Arreola, among others, mastered their craft before becoming mainstays in the sport.
Roman, a talented super bantamweight from Los Angeles, looked fresh and comfortable against the San Diego based Martin. Martin, as is his tendency, started slow and was unable to pick up momentum. Roman proved too efficient and agile, and won with scores 80-71, all around.
“Our plan was to get him confused,” Roman said. “I was aggressive at first, and then I let him come to me. I think I showed people that I’m a complete boxer. The fact that I won on one of Thompson Boxing’s most memorable nights makes this an even sweeter win.”
“Some people said that we were making a mistake by fighting Chris Martin,” said Eddie Gonzalez, Roman’s manager and trainer. “We were here to prove people wrong. Danny is a very skillful fighter with a high IQ and he showed that on Friday night.”
“Danny is becoming a must watch attraction,” said Ken Thompson, who fifteen years ago founded Thompson Boxing. “He gave the fans a wonderful performance and capped off an exciting fight card.”
“It was an awesome night of boxing,” said Alex Camponovo, matchmaker and general manager for Thompson Boxing. “All the fights were extremely competitive, the atmosphere was electric, and the fans got their moneys’ worth.”
The sold out show from Friday night also featured the always-exciting Juan Reyes (12-2-3, 2 KOs) of Riverside, Calif. Reyes faced veteran Roberto Castaneda (22-9-1, 15 KOs) of Mexico. It was a back and forth fight, but ultimately, Castaneda landed the crisper punches and won by majority decision (59-55, 59-55, 57-57.)
After more than a year away from the ring, former contender Efrain Esquivias (17-4-1, 10 KOs) was outclassed by the younger Jose Haro (9-1-1, 6 KOs). The Salt Lake City native, who fights in the featherweight division, won via unanimous decision with scores, 80-72, 80-72, & 79-73.
Colombian lightweight Cesar Villarraga (7-0, 4 KOs) extended his unbeaten streak to seven, winning a six-round unanimous decision win over Erick Aguirre (6-7-2, 4 KOs). Scores read 60-54, 60-54, & 59-55.
Opening the “Path to Glory” card were welterweights Rigoberto Flores (7-1, 2 KOs) and Luis Hernandez (3-10, 2 KOs). Flores would win by unanimous decision (40-37, 40-36, 39-37).
