THAT was one of the worst stops ever seen in the boxing ring.
Eight rounds have passed between Rolando Romero and Ismael Barroso in their vacant world lightweight title fight inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.
Each man survived a single knockdown. Barroso, 40, is moving at the speed of a much older man but is still effective with single shots. Romero has finally found his moment and looks set to take over.
Then, in the ninth round, the two boxers shared hits that were unremarkable. Referee Tony Weeks somehow saw something else and ordered the game to end with 19 seconds remaining.
The fight started with nothing to get excited about. Nobody likes to score 10-10 but the first goal couldn’t have been anything else.
In the second, Barroso raised his hand to knock Romero down, trap him, and deliver the punches we’ve seen in his 18-year career. His opponent was now on high alert, his eyes showing the look of a man worried about any attack coming his way.
Romero overcame it in the third round making a quartet of shots that proved he could win this fight with speed and combination. However, Barroso’s threat never went away. A veteran left-hand shot sent Romero to the floor, but he survived with little time left in the round.
Barroso was unable to capitalize on his belated success as the fourth session began. Romero was more alert than ever, but a left hook and right hand lead on landing settled for him. It was a better round for the 27-year-old from Vegas and the round he needed.
Barroso and Romero’s pressure pattern on the back foot continues throughout. Every punch of the South American boxer, whether successful or not, has a lot behind it.
Romero started timing his opponent in the fifth and sixth innings, but he was soon on his bike when Barroso landed another heavy ball near the end of the middle leg of the match.
Round seven saw Romero find a way to throw and get out of the danger zone. Barroso is hitting the body and even with very little stabbing or coordination he is still very dangerous.
Romero showed confidence in the eighth inning as he took on more risks. The Americans aimed for the middle part of Barroso. Barroso though made no effort knowing he could change the fight in an instant. The lack of action was not overlooked by the crowd that began to boo. As the round ended, Romero completed more rounds in the ring.
Then came the ninth round. One hundred and one second should not be forgotten but for the wrong reasons.
The two boxers didn’t attack each other, but Romero chose to sit down in front of his punches more. He assisted this with his best punch of the match, a left hit to Barroso’s head. A right hand appeared later but that’s all, one hand. Romero’s gauntlet pushed Barroso to the ground. Referee Weeks ruled it was a knock-out match. Barroso stood up and didn’t look like a man about to run out of effort.
Weeks doubled down and made him someone to be remembered for when he intervened in a light brawl between boxers. Nothing landed, no one was slashed, no one was in danger of being hit but the man in the middle chose to save Barroso from further nothingness. And only 19 seconds to go. Fight more.
After eight rounds completed, the scoreboard recorded: 75-76, 74-77, 73-78 all in favor of Barroso.
Barroso’s corner was clearly and properly offended. A world title fight just ended for a reason only Weeks knows. The records now see Rolando Romero 15-1 (13) as the new world champion with a virtual stoppage time win. Ismael Barroso moves to 24-4-2 (22) but that fourth loss left another stain on the sport covered by them.
“We both wanted to keep going,” Romero said in his post-match interview with Jim Gray. His youthful voice did his best to speak over the boos from paying fans.
The crowd’s disdain went up a notch when they reviewed the kill in game nine.
The new champion watching with them said: “It’s not a push.
Romero added that next he wants Ryan Garcia to be in a pay-per-view match.
“I think it’s unfair to stop this fight,” Barroso said in his own live interview.
“He [Tony Weeks] just stopped the fight, he didn’t tell me anything. We do not understand.”
Neither did those who just watched.
Viewers of the Showtime broadcast were then informed by lead commentator Mauro Ranallo that Weeks had declined to speak to Jim Gray as well as representatives of the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
