Jhonatan Romero continues comeback at featherweight

Oct

Jhonatan Romero won a major title belt at 122 pounds. Now he is making a run at championship gold at 126 pounds.

Romero stopped veteran puncher Arturo Badillo in the fourth round Friday night at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Romero improves to 28-1, 15 knockouts. Badillo, who has now lost his last five bouts in a row, dropped to 21-9, 19 KOs.

It was all Romero from the opening bell, as his aggressiveness and pinpoint combinations produced a knockdown in the first round. Romero had Badillo on the defensive throughout most of the fight, rarely allowing him to land anything flush to the head or body.

The end came in the fourth round when Romero dropped Badillo against the ropes with another combination. Badillo’s corner saw enough and threw in the towel, prompting referee Jerry Cantu to stop the bout at 59 seconds.

Romero, who hails from Cali, Colombia, has won his last five bouts in a row since being stopped by Kiko Martinez in Aug. of 2013.

“It felt great to be back in the United States fighting again,” said Romero, who fought his previous four fights in Colombia. “I want to get a world title shot soon. That’s all I’m thinking about.”

In the main event, junior featherweights Isaac Zarate and Heriberto Delgado fought to an eight round majority draw. One judge scored the bout 78-74 for Delgado, while the other two judges scored the bout 76-76.

Heavyweight LaRon Mitchell knocked out Quincey Palmer in the second round. Mitchell, a 2012 U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials finalist, dropped Palmer with a barrage of punches before referee Jack Reiss stopped the bout at 2:20.

Thompson Boxing promoted the card.

Francisco A. Salazar has written for RingTV since Oct. of 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (CA) Star newspaper, Boxingscene.com, and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing.