San Antonio has long been one of if not the best boxing hot beads in the country. It is now putting out not just elite-level little men but extraordinary, special, talent. Bam Rodriguez jumped up two weight classes to capture the WBC Super Flyweight title on a week's notice, Dacisd Cardenas didn't just win the USA Boxing nationals in the 106-pound division but he dominated and cleaned out the weight class barely breaking a sweat in the amateur ranks. Now, this Christian "War Machine" Romero. He may be the brightest of all. The 17-year-old phenom packed the house at The Azafar Shrine Auditorium and delivered in sensational fashion.
Romero came out of the opening bell working patiently behind a jab. Firing it off and keeping his opponent Frank Boston on the back foot. He unleashed his first violent combinations late in the first round and battered Boston against the ropes. Boston seemed not to like the thudding power and choose not to engage with the hard-hitting teenage. Romero stayed calm stayed patient and unleashed a vicious right hand to the body that again backed his opponent up in the second round. Just moments later he scored with a picture-perfect left hook the against shook the bigger another left hook sent him into the corner and unleashed a barrage of power shots. The action continued into the third as Romero scored with a right hand with about 20 seconds left that pinned Boston in the corner yet again and the " War Machine" Let bombs go for the final few seconds of the round
In the final round, the youngster mixed head and body shots to perfection and closed out the scheduled five-rounder, yes you read that correct five-rounder, throwing a shut out on all three cards 50-45. It was a sensational performance against a worthy opponent. A sensational display of hand speed, angels, and thudding punching power. That led trainer Rick Nunez to say "I have the next Manny Pacquiao... he can go from 108 up to 118 or 122"
In the co-main event Javi Fernandez, who trains alongside Romero at South Park Boxing Academy, showed no ring rust or side effects from should surgery that has kept him out of the ring since last October. He scored a knockdown of Michael Haynes, a very rough and rugged opponent, Haynes fought through the excruciating pain and actually put together a couple of good moments in the second. However, any limited success Haynes had in the second came to an end as Fernandez stayed downstairs and unleashed a barrage of body shots that ended the night in the third. Fernandez moved his record to 9-0 (6).
The undercard also featured two fairly touted contenders, in the opening bout Eridson Garcia scored a one-punch body shot knockout of a usually game and skilled opponent in Rafael Reyes to move his unbeaten record to 16-0 (10). In the second bout Eddie "The Hunter" Ortiz duplicated the feat scoring a first-round knockout of his own also via body shot bouncing back from his first career defeat in outstanding fashion moving his record to 12-1-2 (5).
In the lone woman bout hard luck, but fan-favorite, Brittany Ordonez suffered yet another hard-luck draw, in which it appeared she did more than enough to win. Seemingly dominating the fight with a sharp right hand that found its mark throughout. Ordonez seemed to do enough to win every round in the eyes of the fans however the judges disagreed and scored it a majority draw by scores of 38-38x2 and an egregious 39-37 in favor of Leanne Calderon.
