by Scotty L of Predictem.com
When: Saturday, June 19, 2010
Where: San Juan Del Rio, Queretero, Mexico
Weight Class: WBC Light Flyweight Championship: 12 Rounds
Rodel Mayol, 26-4-2 (20 KOs), Mandaue City, Philippines/Los Angeles, California, WBC Light Flyweight Champion Vs. Omar Nino Romero, 28-3-2 (11 KOs), Guadalajara, Mexico
Fight Odds: Rodel Mayol (-105), Omar Nino Romero (-125)
Analysis: On June 19, Rodel Mayol defends his title against Omar Nino Romero in a rematch from a bout in February. The first fight was shaping up into a real barnburner when it was suddenly ended under strange circumstances. In the 3rd round, Mayol was hit by an obviously low punch. He doubled over in pain, complaining. As the referee moved in to halt the action, Romero hit Mayol with a left hook and knocked him out.
Theres enough blame to go around. Romero fouled Mayol clearly and didnt show the best sportsmanship when he belted him out after the foul. Mayol also could have been a bit more self-protective. The oldest saying in boxing is protect yourself at all times. Complaining to the referee before the action has been halted can be a deadly mistake, as Jack Sharkey found out against Jack Dempsey. In addition, the referee was in bad position, didnt see the obviously low shot, and therefore took too long to halt the action. Lets do it again! Sounds like a reasonable conclusion. With any luck, this bout will turn into the mini-classic the first one looked like it would be.
Trouble really seems to follow the Filipino champion. Its downright bizarre how many of his recent fights have been determined by fouls, whether accidental or not. The first Romero bout represented the fourth consecutive bout where fouls decided the fight. Both of his fights with pound-for-pound entrant Ivan Calderon were ended by butt-induced cuts, both going to the scorecards. Mayol was 0-1-1 in those two bouts. Then he lifted the belt from highly regarded WBC champion Edgar Sosa. Before knocking Sosa out, Mayol broke his cheekbone with a headbutt. Hes lucky the referee didnt see it. He may have won anyway, but the butt was once again the deciding factor.
Mayol is a bit of a Billy goat. His head can be a weapon for opponents unfortunate enough to run headlong into it. Those facing him, in turn, turn up the roughhousing a notch as to not be overwhelmed by the rampaging Filipino. Either way, he could really use a fight that simply plays out to its natural conclusion. With only 5 wins in his last 10 fights, he needs to put together some wins now to give his championship claim more credibility. The two close calls against Calderon were encouraging, but he won the title in somewhat suspect fashion, and in his last fight he left the ring as champion after being knocked unconscious.
I thought Mayol was looking good before the unfortunate ending. Romero, to his credit, looked a lot fresher than I thought he would. He was fairly elusive and very quick. In the fatal 3rd round, he was strafing Mayol with some good shots. He seemed to get the rugged Mayols attention a few timesa bit of a surprise considering Romero has only 11 knockouts in 33 fights. But it seemed like Mayols punches were doing the real damage. He hurt Romero a few times in the 2nd round. Romero seemed like he had a very small margin for error, as a Mayol assault had the potential of taking him right out of the fight at any given time.
Mayol is also somewhat shifty himself, not a one-dimensional slugger. He has speed and the ability to be a little cute himself. I had the feeling when watching the first fight that Romeros 3rd round renaissance was going to be short-lived. He was temporarily operating at a pace he wouldnt be able to sustain for too long. It was just a matter of time before Mayol tagged him with something fight-changing.
Scotty’s Pick to Win: Mayol has shown he can fight well in Mexico, so the location isnt too much of a concern, though Romero should enjoy fighting close to home. There is a possibility that the knockout Mayol suffered, though not counted against him on his record, did some sort of damage and set him back a bit. I just think if Mayol can manage to steer clear of any shenanigans, his power punching will win the day. He showed he could hurt Romero. Maybe this time he can do one better. I like Mayol by knockout anytime after the fifth round. Lay the 105 on Rodel Mayol to win.
