Jim Lampley Believes Rolly Romero Looked ‘Intimidated’ Against Isaac Cruz

Jim Lampley, a legendary boxing commentator, thinks Rolly Romero looked intimidated against Isaac Cruz.

Romero was looking to defend his WBA welterweight title for the first time when he took on Cruz. Heading into the fight, Romero was the underdog, and it was Cruz who won by eighth-round TKO, and Lampley thinks Romero looked intimidated in there.

“He looked intimidated. He looked like he was taken aback by the level of violent aggression that Pitbull brings to the ring,” said former HBO commentator Jim Lampley to the Fight Hub TV YouTube channel (via BoxingNews24)… He [Rolly] looked good up to a point, but when you’re pulling back your upper body while trying to deliver punches, those punches don’t have any force on them. And when you are intimidated out of going forward to try to asset your power, then you’re not going to get anywhere. So, as rounds went on, he wasn’t in the fight.”

In the fight, Cruz went after Romero from the get-go, which Jim Lampley says was a key to success. According to Cruz, he says he was prepared for this and now that he has the title, he says all his hard work was worth it.

“I was prepared for this,” said Cruz. “I wasn’t here to just fight; I was here to terminate him and make him eat everything he said. I am not here just as a very dangerous fighter. I now have a title that’s backing me up.”

With the loss, Romero is now 15-2 and 1-2 in his last three, with his other loss coming by stoppage by Gervonta Davis. In his career, he holds notable wins over Ismael Barroso, and Jackson Martinez among others.

Were you surprised that Rolly Romero lost?