Daniel Roman rallied late to secure a victory over Juan Carlos Payano (Photo: Amanda Westcott – SHOWTIME)
By Chris Robinson
On Saturday night, Sep. 26, former IBF/WBA junior featherweight champion Daniel Roman returned to the ring to face off with seasoned veteran and former world champion Juan Carlos Payano. Roman pulled away late in the fight, ultimately coming away with a unanimous decision victory, with all three judges favoring him, 116-112.
The fight was a WBC junior featherweight title eliminator that aired on SHOWTIME pay per view from the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT. Luis Nery is the current WBC champion at 122 pounds.
Roman (28-3-1, 10 KO’s) returned to the ring for the first time following his split-decision loss to Murodjon Akhmadaliev earlier this year. That fight was one of the best that 2020 has had to offer, and Roman again is calling for all the big names at 122 pounds. With this win, he moves closer to a fight with Nery, which would make for a great fight.
Payano (21-4, 9 KO’s) suffers his second consecutive defeat, as the Dominican was stopped by Nery in July of 2019.
Chris Robinson can be reached at CRobinson@hustleboss.com