ALL THE ACTION
Berchelt retains his WBC crown by winning an all-mexican war, writes Kenneth Bouhairie
A five-star fight in Texas, two titles up for grabs in Bethnal Green, plus more
BEFOREHAND, Miguel Berchelt versus Miguel Roman was touted as a Fight of the Year candidate. Las Vegas had Berchelt as a significant betting favourite. Turns out both were right. Roman took the fight to Berchelt from the opening bell, but the WBC super-featherweight champion was in peak form, dropping Roman three times en route to a ninthround stoppage win.
The 5,420 in attendance at the Don Haskins Convention Center cheered themselves hoarse, even as the action grew increasingly one-sided in this Top Rank headliner. Roman, 32, displayed a champion’s heart. Berchelt possesses that and the skills to match. Like a Mexican Felix Trinidad, the lanky boxer-puncher moves in tight circles in search of openings. He may not be as powerful as “Tito” (who is?), but his 86 per cent KO ratio suggests he isn’t far behind.
The vastly experienced Roman, of Ciudad Juarez, wasn’t a shrinking violet. He set a brisk pace in the first as the aggressor, landing an overhand right that caused the crowd to erupt. Merida’s Berchelt, 26, was unbothered, responding with a one-two to the ribs.
That body work proved to be the difference. Roman stalked in the second. Whenever he stood still, Berchelt would unleash combinations to head and body. Midway through the round, Roman timed one of those volleys with a counter right. A stunned Berchelt backed up to the ropes. Roman pounced, firing away on his cornered opponent. Berchelt retaliated with a left-right, causing Roman’s mouthpiece to drop and giving ringsiders a chance to catch their breath.
Once action resumed, Roman uncorked a short left hook that lifted Berchelt’s right leg in the air. The champion paused before coming back with a double left hook, first to the body and then the head, that forced Roman to clinch. Berchelt was now asserting his size and strength.
Berchelt worked behind a stiff jab throughout. Other than that rangefinder, each shot was thrown in combination. And he committed to the body shots. In the third, a left hook downstairs froze Roman long enough for Berchelt to stagger him with a right. The heavy artillery didn’t stop Roman from attacking – he simply knows no other way. Berchelt boxed in the fifth, picking Roman off. When Roman missed, he made him pay to the body. This slowly wore his Mexican compatriot down.
A right at the start of the sixth pushed Roman back. Later in the round, another hook to the side doubled him over, setting him up for a perfect Berchelt cross that floored him for the first time in the bout. He barely made it to his feet at the count of ‘nine.’ The second knockdown occurred seconds later, when a Berchelt combination dropped him to his knees. Roman took his time rising. Soon after, the bell sounded.
Roman wouldn’t go quietly, even as his gas tank zoomed toward zero. Spurred on by the crowd, he attacked to start the seventh. By the end of the stanza, he was simply trying to survive. Berchelt battered him around the ring in the eighth, landing clean four- and five-punch combinations at will. Roman struggled to remain standing. The bout could have been stopped at any point.
Roman gave it one last try in the ninth, throwing everything he had left at Berchelt. The champion stymied him by clinching and then went to work. A vicious left hook to the solar plexus, followed by one upstairs, sapped the little Roman had left. Seconds later, he was on the canvas for a third time. He waited until the count reached ‘eight’ before getting up. Berchelt hammered away as Roman wobbled around the ring. A series of unanswered blows forced referee Jon Schorle to step in with two seconds remaining in the round.
This was Berchelt’s fourth title defence. Afterwards, he called for unification. In a division that includes WBA champ Gervonta Davis, IBF titlist Tevin Farmer and secondary WBA belt-holder Alberto Machado, the possibilities are endless. Mix and match any of them and fans will be treated to a fight as good as this one.
In a 10-rounder, Colombian featherweight Miguel Marriaga knocked out overmatched Mexican Jose Estrella with a left to the body at 2-43 of the fourth. Rocky Burke refereed.
THE VERDICT Berchelt now has his eyes on the other 130lb champs.