By Ryan Maquiñana
Know your enemy.
Manuel Roman has certainly lived up to that mantra in preparation for junior featherweight titleholder Leo Santa Cruz on Saturday’s Floyd Mayweather-Marcos Maidana 2 pay-per-view undercard.
“This was like three years ago. We used to spar before he became a world champion,” Roman told BoxingScene.com on Wednesday night. “I know him and he knows me, but I’m pretty secure in my skills.”
Roman (17-2-3, 6 KOs), who trains with Salvador Casillas in South Gate, California, is cognizant of the signature aggression and nonstop pressure Santa Cruz (27-0-1, 15KOs) will bring into the MGM Grand Las Vegas ring.
“I’ve been sparring a lot of guys heavier than me that keep coming forward to prepare,” Roman said. “I went through 10 rounds and 12 rounds two times.
“Besides, I’m a boxer, not a slugger. He’s going to have a time pushing me into the ropes. We’re ready for the pressure he brings. I know he’s got a lot of the media attention, but that doesn’t concern me.”
Roman shared one aspect of Santa Cruz’s style that he believes he can exploit.
“He keeps his guard high all the time and he’s always coming forward, but as soon as he throws punches, I’m going to counter him immediately and make him fight my game,” Roman said. “I need to control the tempo and I know I can do that.”
Roman’s most high-profile fight to date was a points loss to Randy Caballero where he came off the canvas in round two but still did enough to win four out of the 10 rounds on two of the three judges’ scorecards. The 26-year-old from Paramount, California, explained that his inexperience was the culprit for the defeat.
“I learned not to crack under pressure,” Roman said. “Obviously I did that time because I had never been on a stage like that with all that media. I’m used to it now. I’m more mature. I’m mentally and physically prepared for anything.”
A heavy underdog, Roman vows to make a name for himself.
“To pull off the upset would change my life totally,” he said. “But that’s what we’re expecting, to shock the world. We’re in the sport and we know that one punch can change everything.
“I’ve been working for this since I was seven. I’ve been in boxing for a long time and I know this stage means. I know the world’s going to be watching.”
Ryan Maquiñana is the Boxing Insider at Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and the Editor-in-Chief of Norcalboxing.com. He is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow him on Twitter @RMaq28 or email him at rmaquinana@gmail.com .
