There is something enigmatic about the Rolly Romero persona that does well in creating entertainment in the sport of boxing. It’s a character that the sport is well acquainted with and forgiving to when it comes to the money-making opportunities. A prize fighting worthy character involves a multitude of factors that includes being the bad guy. It’s the most assured prototype for a successful career (assuming the talent and skills are there). Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Roy Jones Jr. are some of the most classic examples of this type of character, and their respective accolades are more than enough evidence to validate the power of being the villain.
When you buy into the villain persona, everyone wants to see you lose. As is the case with Rolly, except for the select outliers who would love nothing more than to see Rolly win and disrupt the hierarchy in boxing.
Rolly has himself in a unique and coveted position. If he loses to Tank this Saturday night well, it’s not like he had anything to lose to begin with. If he beats the odds and wins, his stock skyrockets and he gets better opportunities.
Rolly has always been insistent on portraying himself as vehemently different from most fighters, citing the fact that he didn’t grow up boxing like most of them did. And he certainly doesn’t fight like most.
There are some key differences in the way that he trains and spars that are easily observable: his chin can sometimes be up in the air (accompanied by a squared-up stance), and his offensive approach can seem at times to be erratic, almost as if there is no plan or intention other than violence behind it. But that violence itself is an advantage for Rolly, and if it doesn’t waver in scope and energy, it could prove to be the downfall of an opponent that gets too comfortable in the ring. The key for someone like Rolly is to never get tired and to out condition his opponent. Only then could he beat a more technically inclined opponent.
While this fight doesn’t do much for Tank, it will prove to be an entertaining one. With the banter that has accrued between the two over the past year or two, they certainly have some animosity to work through that can only serve as enjoyable for the casual boxing fan at the very least.
