Ismael Barroso proved he still belongs in the upper echelons of the 140lbs division following a rapid stoppage victory over Ohara Davies.
The victor is now in the driving seat for a title tilt against Rolly Romero, who currently holds the WBA super-lightweight crown – but he has been unable to defend his strap due to injury. Romero controversially claimed the then vacant title against Barroso following a suspect stoppage in his favour, despite the 40-year-old Barroso having dominated proceedings in May last year.
Last night, Davies (25-3, 18KOs) was dropped twice in the opening round with the Englishman eager to engage, which suited Barroso (25-4-2, 23KOs) as he dug his feet in and landed chopping blows, forcing Davies to quickly drop to the canvas. Despite Davies’s best efforts, the Englishman was halted just shy of the two-minute mark of the first session.
In the DAZN post-fight interviews, Barroso made his intentions clear about who he wanted to face next.
“The public has been calling for the fight with Romero, and I just want to say, I’m right here,” Barroso said.
Romero, by this point, had walked over to Barroso’s corner and congratulated him after defeating Davies, giving him his dues.
Barroso, who is 40-years-old, believed he could hurt Davies after the first punch he landed.
“When I started boxing, they told me that I have a lot of power, and with God on my side I have that power,” said Barroso. “When I threw the first punch, I knew I had hurt him. I knew that I had him.”
