Daniel Roman Ready For War

Daniel “The Baby Faced Assassin” Roman (28-3-1 10 KO’s) will be the SHOWTIMEBOXING co-main event attraction facing hard hitting Mexican puncher Ricardo Espinoza Franco (25-3 21KO’s) on Saturday, May 15 at the Health Dignity Sports Park in Carson California. Roman, a Los Angeles native, expressed how he feels to be fighting in his backyard, “Everyone knows Southern California is a breeding ground for boxers and the fans always show support for their hometown fighters. SHOWTIME has had some tremendous fights showcased out here and I plan to keep that tradition going strong. I plan to put on an entertaining fight for the fans by being explosive with my effort.”

Franco, from Tijuana, Baja California, has great power and is coming in winning 75 percent of his fights by KO. Roman knows this fight will not be a walk in the park and stated, “This is not going to be an easy fight because I know my opponent is a tough fighter from Tijuana who is coming with everything he’s got. He’s got a lot of power, so I must be smart on how I throw my combinations. I believe my experience in big fights is going to be the difference on May 15. I’m expecting a rough fight and I’m ready for an intense battle.” Roman is closing up camp and reflected on how he prepared before heading into the boxing bubble, “The final days of camp are wrapping up now before we head to the bubble. As always, the sparring we got was top notch. My coach Eddie González and I have relentlessly been working every day to get me in the best shape of my life. These last two months have been demanding, but I know all the hard work will all pay off on fight night.”

Roman made a successful return earning a unanimous decision over former champion Juan Carlos Payano after losing his WBA and IBF World Super Bantam titles in a close split decision to Murodjon “MJ” Akhmadaliev back in January 2020. Roman looks to establish himself on the top of the 122 pound division once again and knows how important this victory is, “Everything I do in boxing from here on out is to regain my status as a world champion. I’ll do whatever it takes to put me back in that position. A victory on May 15 will get me one step closer to that goal. I know in my heart I will become a world champion once again.”

A rematch against “MJ” looks unlikely this year as a mandatory match has been set to take place later this year against Santa Ana native Ronny Rios. However, with a victory Roman can position himself for a title shot against the winner of that night’s main event between Luis “Pantera” Nery and Brandon “The Heartbreaker” Figueroa.