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'It's wasting time' Romero's promoter criticizes fighting lesser boxers
Posted: Friday May 05, 2000 08:35 PM
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) -- Danny Romero's promoter says the former two-time world champion has little to gain from his fight Saturday against Jorge Munoz, a struggling boxer who has won just one of his last seven fights. "It keeps him busy. That's about all you can say about it," said Bob Arum, president of Top Rank Inc., the Las Vegas, Nev. firm that has Romero under contract. Once described as pound-for-pound the hardest hitter in the business, the 25-year-old Romero (38-3-1) is trying to resurrect a career that started sliding following his loss to former rival Johnny Tapia three years ago. Tapia (47-1-2) will headline Saturday's card at the Pan American Center by defending his WBO bantamweight title against Argentina's Javier Torres (32-14-8). On the undercard, Romero is expected to lay quick and easy claim to the North American Boxing Organization's super bantamweight title. Munoz's record is a mediocre 20-12-4. The obscure NABO title is a long way from the IBF junior bantamweight world title that Romero lost to Tapia in July of 1997. As one boxing official noted this week, any boxer can fight for an NABO title and rankings have no bearing. "It doesn't enhance his marketability," Arum said of Romero's fight with Munoz. "In a lot of ways, it's wasting time. But hey, I'm the promoter, I'm not the manager." That would be Romero's dad, Dan Romero Sr., who has chosen to err on the side of caution in his son's comeback. Over the last year, the Romero camp has turned down three world title bouts, opting instead for a softer menu of opponents - so-called journeymen fighters with plenty of losses and little chance of beating Romero. Last June the Romeros turned down an offer to fight WBO bantamweight champ Marco Antonio Barrera. They said no to a fight with WBA bantamweight champion Paulie Ayala and in March passed on a chance to fight Nestor Garza for the WBA super bantamweight title. When Romero turned the Garza fight down, Clarence "Bones" Adams took it and Garza's title with a lopsided 12-round decision. Romero fought on the same card that night in Las Vegas and stopped Adarryl Johnson in the fifth round in what he later described as "target practice." But while Romero tacked on another win to his resume, he settled for a paycheck of $25,000, compared to the $100,000 he would have earned had he fought Garza. And given Garza's sluggish effort against Adams, it's not a stretch to conclude that Romero too might have beaten Garza. Romero said this week he has no regrets about passing up the fight with Garza. At the time, the elder Romero said Danny wasn't ready for Garza and the boxer said this week the financial deal he was offered was a bad one. Danny Romero also is adamant that the route he and his dad have taken in his comeback will end with a world title fight, possibly as early as this summer. "I feel extremely good about it and taking my time getting where I should be," he said. "It's all a matter of months. Right now, I'm ready to fight any of the top guys. "I just want to get in there, blast somebody and win world titles. That's how it used to be," he said. Danny Romero's contract with Top Rank runs through November and Arum says he has taken a vow of patience when it comes to the Romeros. "I'm not in a position to say he's making the right or wrong choice," Arum said. "I assume when they're ready, they'll let me know. I'm just going to relax and see what happens."
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