Alberto Puello vs Rolly Romero: WBA Title Fight at 140 In the Making
It looks as if Alberto “La Avispa” Puello (21-0, 10 KOs) has an opponent lined up for the first defense of the WBA junior welterweight strap. Word on the street is that Puello will square off against one-time world lightweight title challenger Rolando “Rolly” Romero (14-1, 12 KOs), with the bout happening sometime this spring.
Puello captured the then-vacant WBA title in August 2022 with a split decision over Batyr Akhmedov. In the process, La Avispa became the first fighter from the Dominican Republic to win a junior welterweight world title.
Romero is currently ranked seventh by the WBA at 140. His last outing was a sixth-round TKO loss to reigning WBA Regular 135-pound champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis in May 2022. After deciding to move up to junior welterweight, his premiere in the division will be a world title fight.
ISSUES FACING BOTH FIGHTERS
Rolly was in the headlines after video footage leaked showing the 27-year-old being badly hurt and knocked on the seat of his pants in a recent sparring session by up-and-coming prospect J’hon Ingram. Seeing this incident coupled with how he was stopped by Davis from a single left-hand shot, some observers may start to raise questions about Romero’s chin.
For his part, Puello is on a mission to prove he’s a legit player in the division. His win over Akhmedov was not the most impressive of performances. Some observers feel he was lucky to have his hand raised in victory. Puello – Romero is a clash of styles. There’s the boxing skills and guile of the southpaw champion against the aggression, physical strength, and punching power of Romero.
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