Stephen Fulton Jr. vs. Danny Roman: Wills and Skills

This Saturday, June 4, live on SHOWTIME, in a Premier Boxing Champions event from The Armory in Minneapolis, unified WBC and WBO Super Bantamweight World Champion Stephen Fulton Jr. (20-0, 8 KOs) takes on former unified champion Danny Roman (29-3-1, 10 KOs) in a high-stakes, guaranteed high-octane battle of wills and skills.

The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) will feature WBA super middleweight champion and adopted Minneapolis hometown favorite, Cuba’s David Morrell Jr. against Kalvin Henderson in the co-main event.

The Story

Fulton, born and raised in West Philadelphia, Pa., has been turning heads for the last several years with his unique blend of high-end skill and ring toughness. With nine of his last fourteen opponents sporting undefeated records, “Cool Boy Steph” has shown himself more than eager to take hard roads en route to boxing success.

After capturing the WBO super bantamweight title from Angelo Leo in January 2021, he would add the WBC title by beating defending champ Brandon Figueroa in a close, spirited Fight of the Year-caliber battle in November. 

Now set to face another high-end, all-action battler in Danny Roman, Fulton is focused on building his ring legacy and, eventually, unifying all four 122-pound titles. 

Roman has been considered an elite-level super bantamweight since capturing his first world title in 2017, when he traveled to Japan and stopped defending WBA super bantamweight champ Shun Kubo in nine rounds. Two years later, he decisioned TJ Doheny to add the IBF title to his WBA strap.

In January 2020, the Los Angeles native would lose his two belts to Murodjon Akhmadaliev via split decision. Unable to secure a rematch, he moved on with unanimous decision victories over former world champ Juan Carlos Payano in September of 2020 and Ricardo Espinoza Franco in May of 2021. 

With this upcoming fight, Roman is looking to regain unified champ status by taking Fulton’s two belts. 

The Stakes

At stake are Fulton’s WBC and WBO super bantamweight titles. The winner of this contest will also be one win away from full four-belt unified champ status. 

The Matchup

Fulton is a versatile, well-schooled fighter who can fight on the inside as well as the outside. He has the skills and natural talent to fight effectively from a distance, using his superb jab and slick boxing ability to counter-punch his way to a stylish victory. However, he’s just as comfortable banging away up close, digging heavy body shots and ripping uppercuts to chop opposition down. 

His best offensive weapon, aside from the jab and his punishing body work, is a strong right hand, thrown as a looping shot or straight up the middle. 

On defense, the 27-year-old Fulton is quick and intuitive with a high ring IQ. He can be hit, though, and can be touched when opening up to press an attack.

“ I can do what I want in that ring at any time. ”
Undefeated, Unified WBC/WBO World Super Bantamweight Champion – Stephen Fulton Jr.

Roman is every bit the Mexican-style battler. Game and fearless, the former unified super bantamweight champ is a volume puncher at heart, but tempers his aggression with solid boxing skills. 

The 32-year-old has a wide array of weaponry in his arsenal. He works the body well, has a good jab, utilizes a strong straight right hand, and can rip ferocious uppercuts. His tenacious character, however, may be his best offensive asset.

Defensively, Roman is somewhere between passable and solid, but he definitely ascribes to the old “the best defense is a good offense” philosophy of prizefighting. 

The Words

Stephen Fulton Jr

“I guarantee a victory. I showed against Brandon Figueroa that I can do whatever it takes to get the job done. I boxed early in my career and I’ve fought toe-to-toe in recent bouts. I know what I’m capable of and I’m going to show you. I can do what I want in that ring at any time. Whenever I want to.”

Danny Roman

“Fans should expect a great fight and even a Fight of the Year. I’m one step away from becoming a unified champion again. This is for everything. I’m more than excited and I feel more than ready. I hope Fulton feels the same way. Let’s give the people what they want to see. They want to see a great fight, so let’s give it to them.”

The Breakdown

Fulton could probably make this fight much easier for himself if he boxed and moved, but it’s simply not in his DNA to safely peck his way to victory. The Philly fighter likes to let his hands go and does so more often than other fighters with high-end skill sets and boxing ability. His battles with Brandon Figueroa and Angelo Leo serve as a testament to his warrior spirit. Against Roman, expect a boxing match to quickly become a full-on fight.

Fulton has shown himself adept at fighting inside, but Roman’s uppercut could prove to be a major factor in a phone booth battle. The defending champ’s best bet would be to mix up his attack, fighting at a distance where he can take advantage of his edge in speed and overall boxing ability before diving in for a few quick exchanges up close. Then again, Roman is no slouch in the area of skillful boxing and his jab could cancel out a lot of Fulton’s outside game. 

Neither fighter is especially heavy-handed, but both are tenacious and aggression-minded. So, expect a long, grueling battle with the winner ultimately being determined by their will and minor, on-the-fly strategic adjustments. 

Fulton’s edge in speed and versatility could be the deciding factor in Saturday’s title bout, but don’t discount for a second Roman’s own skills or his will to win what could be the biggest fight of his career. 

For a closer look at Fulton vs Roman, check out our fight night page.