All photos by Marilyn Paulino/RBRBoxing
In a stunningly one-sided affair, Danny “Baby Face Assassin” Roman scored an upset ninth-round TKO over previously unbeaten Adam Lopez in a WBA Super Bantamweight Title Eliminator Friday in the main event of ShoBox: The New Generation on SHOWTIME from Bally’s Atlantic City Hotel and Casino.
Lopez’s trainer, renowned Ronnie Shields, decided his boxer shouldn’t take any more punishment and asked the referee to stop the contest after nine completed rounds.
Roman (21-2-1, 8 KOs), who was ranked No. 4 in the WBA, won his 14th in a row in a career-best performance. He out-boxed and out-slugged the No. 3-rated Lopez (16-1-1, 8 KOs), of San Antonio, Texas, from the outset. Roman seized command in the fourth round with two knockdowns, first with a left hook and then, with a left uppercut.
Lopez, who was appearing on ShoBox for a fifth time, tried to fight back, but Roman’s skill and harder pinpoint-punching led to the scheduled 12-round fight being stopped between rounds nine and 10.
Win the victory, Roman is now in position to challenge WBA 122-pound World Champion Nehomar Cermeno.
“The main event was a shocker,” said ShoBox expert analyst Steve Farhood. “We didn’t know much about Danny Roman. And he sure earned that title fight against Nehomar Cermeno. It’s a bittersweet for us, for Lopez. We know him well. He’s fought five times on ShoBox but now doesn’t look like he is going to get that title fight since this is the second opportunity he had and he took a real beating. It’s going to take a while for him to come back.”
In the final three rounds, Roman out-landed Lopez 107-27, and 84-20 in power punches. In the final session, Roman landed more punches (43) than Lopez threw. It was a merciless beating followed by a merciful stoppage. Roman landed 54 percent of his power shots, including 67 percent in the final round.
“Adam Lopez is a great and tough fighter,” said Roman. “He came prepared, but I came out with the victory.
“I started hurting him with uppercuts. I dropped him twice the fourth. I felt I was going to stop him there, but the bell saved him.
“My plan was to break him down little by little, and I felt that was starting to take effect as he was losing his steam in the third round, but he kept on going.
“I knew he would have one last stand, but I knew I would stop him. Even if they didn’t stop it in the corner, I knew I would get him out of there.
“Now, I am going to go back to the gym. I have to start working on the basics again and begin to prepare for my title shot. I’m very excited.”
Lopez, who left the ring promptly after the stoppage, was not happy with his performance.
“He was the better man tonight,” he said as he sat with his head down in the locker room. “I kept trying to catch him with uppercuts and I got caught every time. I was trying to get on the inside, but it was hard.
“I thought I was clawing my way back into the fight, but my eye started hurting. It was the first uppercut that knocked me down in the fourth that got me right in the eye. It was hard to keep on going with my eye like that.
“When I got back to the corner after the ninth round, Ronnie told me he had seen enough and he stopped the fight.”
