Fringe lightweight contender Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero 14-0 (12) has called for a fight against Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis 25-0 (24) at junior welterweight following his seventh-round knockout victory over Swedish southpaw Anthony ‘Can You Dig It’ Yigit 24-2-1 (8) at the AT&T Stadium in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday night.
The 25-year-old from Las Vegas, Nevada was scheduled to face Austin ‘The Dream’ Dulay 14-2 (10) in the main support bout to the four-belt unification bout between Jermell ‘Ironman’ Charlo 34-1 (18) and Brian ‘El Boxi’ Castano 17-0-1 (12) before Dulay withdrew citing an injury and Yigit stepped in to fill the void.
“I want Gervonta Davis at 140. I’m ready for it,” Romero said. “I’ll stop him. I’m gonna knock him out. I know it is (realistic to make the fight). I know what he can do. But I know what I can do. I’m a lot stronger.”
Romero wasn’t afraid to fight a dirty fight against Yigit, copping a warning in the second round from referee Rafael Ramos for his rough-house tactics and opening a cut under the left eye of the visitor with an errant elbow in the following frame.
Romero blamed the European for his own infractions.
“Man, I’ll tell you, European fighters are always awkward for everybody,” Romero said. “They got completely different style over than over here.”
Late in the fifth round Romero threw Yigit to the canvas and was docked a point by referee Ramos but with seconds remaining he tried to make up for the deficit, dropping Yigit right at the bell.
Yigit survived the sixth round but was dropped twice in the seventh to force referee Ramos to stop the fight at the 1:54 mark.
“At that point I knew it was over,” Romero said. “I swear, I thought it was over (at the end of the fifth round). But after I dropped him that first time I knew it was going to be over soon. It was a beautiful right hand. It was a nice short one, a six-inch one, like a Bruce Lee shot.”
Before the bout Romero predicted a first-round stoppage.
“I’m going to stop him in the first round on Saturday. I’m confident in what I say and what I’ll do in the ring,” he said.
“I love fighting lefties. I prepared to face a southpaw first in Austin Dulay anyway. This camp has been amazing. I can’t even talk about all the times I’ve stopped people in camp.
“Like every single time I fight, make sure you show up on time. If you show up late, you’re going to miss a knockout.
“I’m just a different fighter from these other lightweights. You can’t prepare for me because I’m awkward. No one has ever seen my style before, plus I have power.
“I’m just happy Yigit stepped up and took this fight. I’m used to people not taking fights with me. I can’t knock him on that.”
