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By Allan Fox: Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero is facing a tough test in Ismael Barroso tonight in a fight for the vacant WBA light welterweight title at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, in Chelsea Ballroom in Las Vegas. The fight will be shown on Showtime.

If Rolly wins on Saturday night, he will use his time in the spotlight to call out Gervonta Davis for a rematch and/or Ryan Garcia. His chances of getting either of those two to fight him next will be slim.

It’ll look too much like a money grab if Tank Davis rematches Rolly. Besides, Barroso isn’t a good enough opponent to make the boxing public forget the image of Rolly getting knocked out by Tank.

The oddsmakers have Rolly (14-1, 12 KOs) because he’s the younger guy, and he’s fighting someone that has spent most of his career and should still b fighting in that weight class.

Barroso, 40, doesn’t possess the size to be campaigning at 140, and he’s not been all that active since he moved up to the weight class in 2018.

He’s been given the #1 ranking because of his win over Yves Ulysse Jr four years ago in 2019. Since that fight, Barroso has fought just twice, beating journeyman Nestor Hugo Paniagua and 42-year-old Fernando David Saucedo.

Prediction: Rolly by fifth round knockout.

Rolando deserves title shot

“Rolly is happy to be on the big stage and ready to perform. It was a little too subtle for me. I don’t like that s**t,” said Rolly’s trainer Cromwell ‘Bullet’ Gordon to the Mayweather Channel about the final press conference last Thursday for this Saturday night’s bout between Rolando and Ismael Barroso.

“I think he [Rolly] needed to be a little bit more disrespectful and say some things, but at this point, he understands that he doesn’t really need that too much. It’s something that gets him up.

“I wish it was a little more intense because it sets your mind for war. He’s trying to keep it as cool as hell to keep it mellow. I already know the psychological part of the chess game that he’s trying to play with the mind,” said Bullet about Barroso keeping it calm during the final press conference.

“You know what? Rolly is going to bring a lot to the table. You already know with a little bit of patience, but we’re still going to kick that a**. The 140 division is a better division for him. 135, he struggled with the weight cut.

“He’s star,” said Bullet when asked why Rolly deserves a title shot after his loss last year to Gervonta Davis and twelve months of inactivity.

“Their styles aren’t world title-ish. Their personalities, they don’t have followers. They don’t have people that are going to pay to watch them. Boxing is a business and a sport, especially in 2023 after the pandemic,” Bullet said.

Rolly not overlooking Barroso

“He’s finally getting into his man strength and bone density, so now he’s hitting even harder,” said Cromwell about Rolly. “It’s not about hitting hard. It’s the timing and the rhythm of the shots and the patience of setting it up. That’s what’s going to make him even more dangerous.

“The interim is kind of a step to a big title like this one. We already got that belt, so now it’s time for this one [WBA light welterweight strap.]. Once you get this one guess what? All those other doors open. Now you can go fight for the WBC or whichever one else or unification.

“We’re not looking past. I don’t like to have these kinds of conversations,” said Cromwell when asked if Rolly is overlooking the 40-year-old Barroso due to his age. “I like people who fight who is in front of them. Think about what’s in front of you because the minute you underestimate somebody, that’s when you lose.

“You have to have some kind of respect for the other guy that steps into that ring. He may have suffered a death in his family where he has a chip on his shoulder. You drive, and your desires come out when you’re fighting.

“So you don’t know what this guy is facing outside of boxing, just like you don’t know what Rolly is facing outside of boxing. So those things add to your performance.

“He’s a very good listener, so he knows how to work his magic, and I’m just there to guide that to make sure he doesn’t go too far, and just be yourself because boxing needs,” Cromwell said about Rolly.

“Boxing needs originality. They don’t need, ‘Oh, I want to thank this one and thank.’ No, no, no. Everyone is so tailor-made and scripts. We’re not here to be scripted. We’re here to be different because we are different,” said Cromwell.

Romero = superstar

“He’s a superstar. He’s not just a star. He’s a superstar,” Bullet said about Rolly. “Even before the Tank fight, he was catching the eyes and ears of everybody else. So this [winning the WBA 140-lb title] is just going to solidify him and put him on a pedestal on that stand.

“I like to predict other fighters. Maybe seven or eight,” said Crowwell on his prediction of knockout victory for Rolando on Saturday night against Barroso. “We’ll try to gas him down a little bit and make sure his punching power comes down, and he’s a little winded, and then jump on him.

“He’s [Barroso] got a lot of punches in his arsenal. Let him throw his shots so we can counter him. At the same time, we’re not trying to blast him out early unless he makes a mistake. If he makes a mistake, I can’t stop Rolly from jumping on him to take advantage of the opportunity. He’s going to do it regardless.

“We want to make sure we solidify the victory and do it smart. So about seven or eight rounds,” said Cromwell.

Rolly: I’ll be a superstar at 147

“I’ll go up to 147. I’ll really go up to 147. I don’t give a f**k,” said Rolly Romero to the media. “I’m being 100% serious. I will go up to 147. That’s where I want to be anyways. I don’t even have to try in that division. I’ll be a superstar in that division too fast.

“Because I’m a 147-pounder,”  said Rolly when asked why he believes he’ll excel at welterweight. “No advantage [for his opponents at welterweight]. Floyd walked around at 147 and fought at 147.”