Danny Roman delivered a dominating performance on Friday night. Behind a precise and rabbit quick jab, Roman (20-2-1, 7 KOs) outpointed the always-game Enrique Quevedo (16-8-1, 10 KOs).
With the one sided win, Roman pushes his winning streak to thirteen and likely moves up the WBA rankings where he sat at number eight entering Friday’s fight.
“I know I belong with the best,” said Roman, who is getting closer to landing a big fight in the 122-pound division. “Quevedo couldn’t hit me and he never seemed comfortable.”
Roman looked every bit like a world title contender by frequently attacking and frustrating Quevedo. Quevedo, for his part, switched between orthodox and southpaw stances throughout the 10-round fight, but it was a futile attempt to stymie the Los Angeles-based Roman. Roman was just too skilled and determined to retain the championship he won last July.
“It was an incredible win,” said Alex Camponovo, matchmaker and general manager at Thompson Boxing. “Roman made a very respectable boxer look average.”
The co-feature saw heavyweight LaRon Mitchell (14-0, 13 KOs) battle through a slow start and second round knockdown to defeat the skilled Mario Heredia (14-5, 12 KOs) by unanimous decision (77-74 twice, 76-75).
Mitchell shook off the early knockdown by wearing down Heredia with body shots and closing nearly every round with a flurry of punches.
“I knew it was going to be a tough fight,” Mitchell said. “I was able to continuously apply pressure to get the win.”
Welterweight prospect Robert Arriaza (13-0, 10 KOs) remains unbeaten after a unanimous decision win over the tough Benjamin Whitaker (11-2, 2 KOs). Arriaza found the range early over the shorter Whitaker. He boxed on the outside effectively, while Whitaker found success when he was able to cut the distance. Arriaza, who recently relocated to Los Angeles from his native Nicaragua, won for the third time this year (77-75 twice, 79-73).
Heavyweight Scott Alexander (12-1-2, 6 KOs) overcame a slow start and a point deduction in the fourth for a low blow to win by technical decision over Sergio Ramirez (11-2, 7 KOs). In the sixth and final round, Ramirez slipped and accidentally clashed heads with Alexander, causing a nasty cut above his right eyelid. The ringside doctor ruled him unable to continue, which led to the technical decision. Scores: 59-55 twice, 58-55.
Junior lightweight Michael Norato (4-0, 1 KO), a southpaw from the Los Angeles suburb of Pacoima, backed up the shorter Eder Amaro (2-1, 1 KO) to the tune of a unanimous decision win. Norato mixed his punches well and defended nicely throughout the 4-round fight. Scores: 39-37 twice, 40-36.
Bantamweight standout Rudy Garcia (3-0, 1 KO) preserved his unbeaten record with a unanimous decision win over Jorge Perez (2-4, 1 KO) in the “New Blood” opening bout. Garcia, a Los Angeles native, was backed by a raucous home crowd that cheered his every strike. Garcia was clearly the more polished prospect, showing a capacity to throw combinations and an ability to dart out of danger. Scores: 40-36 twice, 39-37.
