By Allan Fox: Sergio Mora of DAZN is picking the underdog Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero to score an upset knockout win over WBA ‘regular’ lightweight champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis tonight in their grudge match at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Mora sees Rolly as another Ricardo Mayorga, a fighter with power and a wild style that enabled him to pull off a major upset of WBC welterweight world champion Vernon Forrest in January 2003.
The former WBC 154-lb champion ‘Latin Snake’ Mora likes the size, power, and the odd angles that Rolly (14-0, 12 KOs) delivers his punches from. Mora feels that the combination of those things w
Tank heavily favored
“The grudge match between Gervonta Davis and the brash-talking Rolly Romero and Tank’s WBA ‘regular’ title will be on the line,” said Chris Mannix to DAZN’s JABS.
“Tank is heavily favored to defeat Rolly Romero. Romero talks a good game, but can he back it up?
“Whenever you’ve got confidence, a big mouth, and power to go with it, absolutely! I think Rolly is in a fine position to get the biggest upset in boxing right now,” said Sergio Mora.
“He reminds me of Ricardo Mayorga, to be honest with you, a more polished Mayorga. He was able to beat one of the best pound-for-pound talents in the game in Vernon Forrest back-to-back. He knocked him out that first time.
“I think Romero is in a prime position to do the exact same thing. I might be in the minority here, but I’m picking Rolly Romero by knockout.
“I’m telling you, I love this kid. I love his brashness, his confidence, his power, his swag, his size advantage, length, and the way he slings his power,” Mora said.
Mora picks Rolly to win
“Tank is going to have to get on the inside to be effective. I like Rolly Romero with the long power on the outside,” said Mora.
“It’s interesting that you compare Rolly to Mayorga because while you’re right, Mayorga does have those wins over Vergon Forrest, he lost most of his other big fights. That’s why I think this is going for Rolly Romero.
“He does have that one-punch knockout power. We’ve seen that on the lower levels, but we’ve not seen that on the Tank Davis level just yet.
“While he has that big punch, he also throws it from wild angles. Angles that leave wide open for shots, and Tank has proven throughout the course of his career that he can punch guys coming forward, he can punch guys with uppercuts standing still, and he can knock fighters out from a lot of different angles.
“On top of that, Tank likes fighting taller guys. The reason why Tank had problems with Isaac Cruz just one fight ago is because Cruz is a smaller fighter. Rolly will be there, he will be there to be hit. I like Tank Davis by mid-round knockout,” said Mannix.
“Look, yes, normally I would agree with you, but the one thing that upsets a power puncher is another guy that can bring enough power and a guy that is used to doing things by the A-B-C, looking for the A-B-C punches.
“They hate a guy that is swinging punches from D-E & F. That’s how you beat an orthodox fighter by being unorthodox. Rolly Romero isn’t an unorthodox fighter, but he slings those punches.
“When you’re used to having your head here, and the punches are coming from over here, you don’t know whether to go in or out. That’s how people get caught, and that’s why I like Rolly Romero in this fight.
“He’s bringing the power and the confidence, and I think the right style match-up. It’s going to be a hell of a fight. It doesn’t go the distance, I tell you that,” said Mora.
