By Jake Donovan
Daniel Ponce de Leon and Miguel ‘Micky’ Roman are ripped and ready for war Saturday evening in Cuauhtemoc, Mexico.
Both fighters easily made weight for their regional super featherweight title fight. Ponce de Leon came in at 129.2 lb, while Roman was closer to the featherweight limit, checking in at a lean 127.9 lb.
The bout is basically do-or-die for Ponce de Leon (45-6, 35KO) as a contender. The former two-division champ suffered a second knockout loss to Juan Manuel Lopez, the latest coming this past March in Puerto Rico, in a bout that saw both fighters – well past their prime – hit the canvas.
A rebirth was thought to be upon his career following an upset win over Jhonny Gonzalez in Sept. ’12 to claim a featherweight title. The reign was short-lived, however, as Ponce de Leon was stopped in nine rounds by Abner Mares last May in his lone title defense.
Roman (45-11, 34KO) has proven to be a handful for just about any given contender and former champ in and around the super featherweight division. The 28-year old enters on the heels of a seven-fight win streak, including an upset knockout win over former 130 lb. titlist Juan Carlos Salgado last November.
The bout will air live on Televisa in Mexico and on Fox Deportes in the United States.
In supporting action:
Edgar Monárrez, 135.4 lb, faces Jasús Rojas, 135.5 lb. in a 12 round regional super featherweight title fight.
Marco Reyes, 159.2 lb. squares off against Octavio Castro, 156.5 lb. in a middleweight swing bout scheduled for either eight or 10 rounds, depending on how much time is available given the terms of the broadcast.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of krikya360.com, as well as the Records Keeper for the Transnational Boxing Ratings Board and a member of Boxing Writers Association of America.
Twitter: @JakeNDaBox