At the age of 32 – with 33 coming 11 days after this fight – Miguel is a 15-year pro. The WBC’s No. 1 ranked mandatory challenge, he is a “throwback” fighter to an earlier age – a veteran of 72 fights and 439 rounds of professional experience.
He has fought 56 times in his native Mexico, 14 times in the United States, and one time each in Spain and Argentina.
Since his debut in March, 2003, Miguel’s career has been like a rollercoaster that saw him go from undefeated prospect and hometown favorite to “traveling underdog” – including span of 19 months from 2007 to 2009 that saw him go 3-5 in eight fights – then building back up, only to be let down again in two unsuccessful world title challenges, the first for the WBA featherweight title in March, 2011, the second for the WBC lightweight title in March, 2012.
In January, 2013, he started an 18-fight winning streak that included two of his most notable wins against former world titlists Juan Carlos Salgado and Daniel Ponce de Leon, and ended in January, 2017, with a 12-round knockout loss against Takashi Miura.
He has now won four fights in a row, all by knockout, since then, which includes his career best win against former two-division world champion Orlando Salido. Salido was ranked No. 1 by both the WBC and WBO at the time.
The win earned Miguel the WBC’s No.1 ranking and mandatory challenger status – he’s an “overnight sensation” 15 years in the making – and a big part of his recent resurgence has been his teaming up with “old-school” trainer Rudy Hernandez, who turned his career around and guided him through his recent fights, including the big win against Salido.
After the big ninth-round TKO win against Salido on December 9, 2017, in Las Vegas, ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael reported [excerpts]: Salido, who won world titles at featherweight and junior lightweight and thrilled boxing fans with a series of epic slugfests over the years, announced his retirement from boxing on Saturday night.
Salido had just suffered a ninth-round knockout loss to Mexican countryman Miguel “Mickey” Roman in yet another all-out slugfest at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Salido and Roman put on an action-packed fight of the year contender, just as expected when the fight was announced.
Salido badly hurt Roman with a right hand in the first round, but Roman came back to knock Salido down three times. Roman dropped Salido in the fourth round with a right hand on the chin and in the eighth round with a left hook, and when he went down yet again under a hail of punches in the ninth round, [the] referee waved off the fight at 1 minute, 43 seconds.
It was the biggest win of Roman’s career. [End Rafael item]
Most fighters who reach mandatory challenger status sit and wait on their world title opportunity, but in another example of Miguel’s “old-school” mentality, he stayed active with two more fights since then, both knockout wins, in which he won the Mexican super featherweight title and made one successful title defense, all on the advice and under the guidance of trainer Rudy Hernandez.
AMATEUR, PERSONAL BACKGROUND: Miguel said through an interpreter, “I was born and raised in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. I don’t have any brothers and sisters. My father works for a concrete company here in Juárez like, repairing the streets. My mother doesn’t work. I’m the only boxer in my family. A cousin of mine used to box, but that was a long time ago.
“I started boxing when I was 12. I was always fighting in school, so I decided to become a boxer.
“I had 55 amateur fights. I only lost six. I won the silver medals in two national tournaments. [note: results not currently available]
“I’m naturally right-handed. I’m married. My wife’s name is Rosa Maria Hernandez and we have four children – three girls and one boy. Evelyn is 14 years old, Vianey is 11, Aylin is nine, and Miguel is three.”…
From Fightnews.com, by Chris Cozzone [May 12, 2008 – excerpts]: Early on, there was nothing special about Roman, other than his dedication. There was no pedigree; no paved road to success. He’d be the first to say it: he was just another Juarez kid looking to fight his way off the streets.
His mother saw it, too. Having had to raise Roman and his younger brother on her own (Roman’s father deserted the family two years after Roman was born), she was more than a little concerned when her two kids continually got into fights on the streets. Finally, she took them both to the local gym.
“All the top pros trained there,” recalls Roman.” ‘Ranchero’ Ramirez, Kirino Garcia, Cesar Soto and ‘Tacubayo’ Murillo. I was about 14 at the time. I liked it – but my younger brother didn’t.”
While Roman put in his time in the gym, his brother returned to the streets where he ran with a local gang – it would later prove his downfall.
While his brother continued to fight in the streets, Roman fought in the amateurs. “I didn’t like amateur too much,” says Roman. “I wanted to fight pro – it was better without head gear.”
In March of 2003, at the young age of 17, Roman turned pro under local promoter Oswaldo Kuchle and Promociones del Pueblo, who set about grooming the young prospect.
It was about this time [note: early 2005] that Roman lost his 17-year-old brother to the streets. “He was shot to death,” says Roman.
Roman had to make a choice: keep on going, or regress back to the streets. “I know a lot of fans follow me now,” he says. “That’s why I didn’t take vengeance on the guys who shot my brother. I know perfectly who they are but I did not do anything. I have to be an example – to the people who trust me, like my mom, my daughter, my promoters, my fans – everybody.”
Roman chose the ring. “My time will come,” he says. [End Cozzone item]
STRENGTHS: Has an aggressive style and good punching power…tough and determined…is experienced against very good opposition…
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: 15 years, 8 months…72 fights…439 total rounds…17 world championship rounds…
AVERAGE LENGTH OF BOUTS: 6 rounds…
KNOCKOUT PERCENTAGE: of total fights – 63 %…of wins – 77 %…
DISTANCE FIGHTS: 12 rounds – 6 (1-5)…11 rounds – 1 (1-0)…10 rounds – 13 (8-5)…
