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An excellent WBA featherweight title clash takes place on Saturday at Polideportivo La Colonia in Junin, Argentina as champion Jonathan Victor Barros meets challenger Miguel Roman.
Barros, 31-1-1 (18), is making his first defense since winning the vacant belt via seventh round stoppage against Irving Berry this past December while Roman, 33-7 (25), is participating in his first world title bout.
Despite Barros holding the WBA crown and going the distance with WBA champion at the time Yuriorkis Gamboa in March, 2010, it’s Roman who perhaps has faced the greater number of good fighters.
The 25 year old from Mexico has lost to only to a solid level of opposition since 2008, including Jorge Solis, Eduardo Escobedo, Fernando Beltran Jr, Miguel Beltran Jr and Antonio Escalante.
While all Roman’s losses were relatively close contests, two were by split decision and the Ciudad Juarez man has never been stopped during his nine year career.
Roman does lack any victories over name opposition, but the same could said of Barros, who’s title winning effort was against little known Berry, who previously had not faced a world level fighter.
Barros’ main achievement was finishing the fight on his feet against the phenomenal Gamboa but the Argentine fighter had very few moments of success against the lightning fisted Cuban, although he did manage to shake Gamboa on one occasion.
Both Barros and Roman like to stand there and trade in the trenches so this one should be a barnburner from start to finish. Barros could have the better boxing skills but with the pressure that Roman will likely apply, technique isn’t likely to come into play.
This is a hard bout to call. Barros does have the hometown advantage but Roman is younger, has the heavier hands and has been in the longer fights. These advantages could become important as this one goes into the later rounds.
If it goes to a decision, look for Barros to take it but Roman likely knows he’ll have to finish off the champion to win the title and that could give him alll the motivation he needs to bring the WBA crown back to Mexico.
