Coach Bullet Gordon Didn’t Like The Rolly Stoppage That Saved Barroso?
On May 13, the ever colorful fighter Rolando “Rolly” Romero (15-1, 13 KO’s) became the latest WBA super lightweight champion. He pulled this off by defeating forty-year-old Ismael Barroso by way of a very controversial ninth-round knockout. Since veteran referee Tony Weeks made the mind-blowing call, the boxing world has been transfixed on the puzzling turn of events. Even Rolly himself has said on a number of occasions that he feels Barroso could have continued and he wished the fight could have gone on. Things are not so cut and dry with his chief second, Cromwell “Bullet” Gordon!
In rather confusing fashion, Bullet maintains that the stoppage was questionable but still somehow the best outcome for Barroso. At least this is what Gordon expressed in a recent Q&A with Fight Hub TV.
“Well honestly, the stoppage, to me, I didn’t like the stoppage, but I am going to tell you something; Nevada State is already under pressure about some folks getting hurt in the ring unnecessarily. [If] Rolly would have kept going another round or two, he would have killed that dude! Because once you’re tired you’re done! So, what do they want? They want him [Rolly] to kill him?!”
WHERE’S THE PUBLICIST?
This seems to be an odd statement. In the same breath that Bullet says he didn’t like the stoppage, he says that Barroso’s life was in peril and that it was a prudent call. Yet, in this scenario, you simply can’t have it both ways. At the time of the stoppage, it’s been revealed that Barroso was up on all three of the judges’ scorecards. Even worse, replays have shown that when the match was ended Romero, did not land a single shot in his final barrage.
So, if Barroso could continue and was competently defending himself, why stop the fight? On the flipside, if Rolly was coming on as strong as Bullet says, and he was connecting with near life-ending punches, why would Gordon not like the stoppage? It’s all very confusing and frustrating. Obviously you can only expect Bullet to have his fighter’s back. Still, you’d think his viewpoint would not collide with itself.
