Daniel Roman decisively beats Ricardo Espinoza by UD

Daniel Roman puts on a boxing masterclass as he defeats Ricardo Espinoza by unanimous decision in his hunt for a title fight. 

Daniel Roman is a former unified super bantamweight boxing champion. He’s hungry for another title shot, and he overcame a slow start on May 15 against Ricardo Espinoza to put on a complete performance.

Roman (29-3-1, 10 KOs) dropped the WBA and IBF titles to Murodjon Akhmadaliev in January of 2020, but it was a close split decision that could have gone in his favor. Roman didn’t get a rematch, so he’s trying to work his way back into title contention.

Technically, Roman should be the WBC mandatory challenger after beating Juan Carlos Payano in September, but instead of a title fight, he was in the ring with Espinoza at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Daniel Roman got off to a slow start but excelled as the fight went on to score a unanimous decision victory

Espinoza (25-4, 21 KOs) is known for his power, and Roman felt it in the first several rounds. Espinoza walked through Roman’s punches and was landing heavy blows. However, as the fight went on, Roman found his pace and started to counter Espinoza.

Espinoza was swinging for the fences, but Roman’s experience allowed him to make Espinoza miss while connecting with left lead uppercuts that hurt Espinoza on more than one occasion.

By round 8, Espinoza’s face was breaking up as he started to bleed. The referee took a look at him in round 9 but allowed the fight to continue. Roman continued to score and cruised to victory through the final bell.

The judges returned one score of 97-92 and two of 98-92 all for Roman, giving him the unanimous decision victory. Roman is 31 years old and still in his prime. The three current super bantamweight champions appear to be tied up with upcoming bouts. Roman is deserving of a title shot but will likely have to wait a little longer.