At this time a year ago, super bantamweight prospect Roman Morales was basking in the glow of the gold medal he had just claimed at the prestigious Four Nations Tournament in France and contemplating leaving behind the amateurs for the paid ranks. Fast forward a year, and Morales’ first year as a professional should be considered a success. The blossoming fighting pride of San Ardo, California looks to put an exclamation point on his year tomorrow night in a six-round bout against Alejandro Castillo at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California.
The Gary Shaw-promoted and Repo Ric-managed Morales (7-0, 5 KOs) was last in the ring on September 2nd, as he completely destroyed Cain Garcia inside of two rounds in Salinas, California. Morales would likely be looking for his ninth win tomorrow had a late October bout not been scuttled. The cancellation only means that Morales is even more prepared for Friday’s bout. “We just kept going, kept training,” says Morales’ trainer Rodolfo Tapia. “We didn’t stop at all, just kept going, waiting for the next fight.”
The next fight comes against Castillo (4-1, 1 KO) of Denver, Colorado by way of Ciudad Cuauhtemoc, Chihuahua, Mexico. Castillo could provide a stern test, as his only defeat came via fifth-round stoppage against former amateur standout Shawn Nichol in a bout he was leading on all three official scorecards. Castillo had put the first blemish on Nichol’s ledger via decision in their first meeting.
“We saw he fought Shawn Nichol a couple times,” says Tapia. “We know he is aggressive and comes forward. We have prepared for his style. [I had] Roman spar aggressive guys that come forward, throwing punches, body shots. He’s ready. He’s been doing pretty good.”
One of the aggressive guys Morales sparred in preparation for Friday’s bout was super bantamweight contender Glenn Porras (26-3, 17 KOs). All told Morales logged 16 rounds with Porras, who makes his U.S. debut in Santa Ynez. Tapia also took Morales down to Oxnard, California for another 16 rounds in two days. “We’ve had pretty good training,” says Tapia simply.
Looking back at the year, Tapia is happy with his charge’s progress. “He’s getting pretty good,” reports Tapia. “He’s had better fights every time. He trains hard. We think he is ready for the next step: eight rounds. It has been pretty good progress. He’s doing a lot better at everything. He has picked up little things from the guys he has been sparring. Like this time with Glenn Porras, and before with Nonito [Donaire]. He’s learned a lot from them.”
Morales aims to put everything he has learned in the gym on display tomorrow and finish his first year as a professional strong.
Tickets for the event, promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, are available online at StarTickets.com.
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