Danny Roman (21-2-1, 7 KOs) pushed his winning streak to thirteen with a sweep of the scorecards against the previously unbeaten Marlon Olea (12-1, 11 KOs) Friday night in the “New Blood” main event from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.
The Los Angeles based Roman was the aggressor from the start, and despite Olea’s quick movement, was able to dominate the fight from beginning to end. Roman had a bit of adversity to deal with as he suffered a cut on the top of his forehead at the closing seconds of the opening round. The accidental clash of heads would cause blood to stream down Roman’s face for much of the fight.
“The cut on my forehead was unfortunate, but that’s boxing,” said Roman, who entered Friday’s contest as the No. 5 challenger on the WBA rankings (122 lbs.). “I didn’t let it bother me. I had a job to do and I did it. On to the next one.”
In the early rounds, Roman found success landing heavy body shots, while Colombia’s Olea had a hard time landing anything of substance. Roman did an excellent job in cutting off the ring and making Olea engage on his terms. Scores: 80-72 all around.
In the “New Blood” co-feature, Giovani Santillan (20-0, 11 KOs) improved on his unbeaten record by knocking out veteran Miguel Angel Mendoza (23-10, 22 KOs) in the fourth round of their scheduled 8-rounder. The 24-year-old Santillan, who fights out of San Diego, was docked one point in the second for a low blow.
Santillan, undeterred, continued moving forward and backing up the shorter Mendoza. The lefty set up crushing upper cuts by moving inside and pressuring Mendoza onto the ropes.
“He had kind of an awkward style,” Santillan said. “He would crouch down to avoid getting hit. I think that’s why I got called for a low blow because he was trying to make himself smaller. It didn’t matter because I eventually figured out how to land whatever I wanted.”
In the fourth round, Santillan found his groove and was pouring it on until Mendoza’s corner threw in the towel at the 1:26 mark.
Heavyweight Johnny Rice (5-2-1, 3 KOs) out of Los Angeles dropped Mexico’s Mario Heredia (14-6, 12 KOs) three times on his way to a fifth round knockout victory. Rice connected in the second and fourth rounds with stiff right hands, which deposited the heavier Heredia on his back.
In the fifth, Rice produced another power shot that floored Heredia, prompting referee Raul Caiz, Jr. to stop the fight at the 1:31 mark. Rice controlled most of the fight with an active jab and quicker punching. Heredia had some nice moments of his own, but failed to capitalize on that momentum.
Fan favorite and Los Angeles native Rudy Garcia (4-0, 1 KO) garnered another win in his young career. The bantamweight prospect posted a unanimous decision win over the still winless Joel Cano-Castro (0-4). Garcia dominated the fight, landing a steady jab and power punches seemingly at will. The scorecards tell the story: 40-35, 40-36 twice.
Junior lightweight Michael Dutchover (2-0, 2 KOs) kicked off “New Blood” with a devastating first round knockout of Sergio Campos (0-1). Dutchover bolted out of his corner with a fierce attack that put Campos, who was making his pro debut, on the defensive immediately. Dutchover unloaded power shots to the body and landed a left hook that dropped Campos for good at the :51 mark.
