By: Sean Crose
Danny Roman put his 28-3-1 record on the line against the 25-3 Ricardo Espinoza in a scheduled 10 round super bantamweight affair Saturday at Carson’s Dignity Health Sports Park. Espinoza had last been seen in the ring in August when he scored a UD win over Brandon Valdes. The popular Roman, on the other hand, had last been seen in September, when he bested Juan Carlos Payano via a UD win.
Both men threw heavy leather in the first. Espinoza pressed forward in the second while Roman counterpunched effectively. Things remained close and fast paced in the third. The fourth showcased just what a close fight it was, as both men fought aggressively. Roman looked to be the smarter fighter, but Espinoza seemed to throw the harder punches. The fifth was a battle for controlling the range, as Espinoza attached and and Roman fought to keep his man off his game.
Espinoza looked to want to pick his shots in the sixth. The seventh, like most of the fight, was fast paced and heated. Roman, however, managed to fit in a nice bit of sharp shooting. As aggressive and game as he was, Espinoza appeared by the eighth to be falling victim to Roman’s counter punching. The ring doctor took a look at Espinoza before the ninth, but allowed him to fight on. By this point, however, it looked like Espinoza was taking a real beating, no matter how game he was (and he was incredibly game). The fight remained fast paced even in the tenth and final round, with Espinoza pushing forward and Roman counter punching crisply.
By scores of 97-93, 98-92, and 98-92, Roman walked away with the win.