MARCO Romero is preparing for his first professional fight at home in Olathe, Kansas, on September 6. Romero’s manager and head trainer, John Brown, has advised “El Tiburon” (9-0, 8 KOs) to observe future Hall of Famer and current undisputed heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) as a perfect example for his development.
Turner Boxing Academy, owned and operated by Brown in Kansas City (KS), is promoting “The Homecoming,” a professional/amateur boxing card to be headlined by hometown hero Romero at Embassy Suites Hotel & Conference Center in Olathe, Kansas.
Usyk, a proud Ukrainian who captured a gold medal for his country in the 2012 Olympic Games in London, was the undisputed world cruiserweight champion before moving up to duplicate that feat, not once but twice, as a heavyweight.
“Usyk is a good example for Marco to follow,” Brown explained. “I have him watching videos of Usyk. He’s such an impressive guy, in and out of the ring, and that’s why I’m pushing Marco in his direction.
“I’m a big fan of Tyson Fury, but I’m trying to instill Usyk’s traits in Marco as a fighter because of Usyk’s tenacity and will, top conditioning, and boxing science knowledge.
“I’m a realist about life and boxing, how tough they both are, but I always teach my boxers that to be successful in this sport, as well as in life, they need to be obsessed for success.”
“I never really paid attention to Usyk until recently,” Romero added. “He is definitely one of a kind. His movement, footwork, and output for a heavyweight is insane, especially since he’s not on the big side in the heavyweight division. Usyk is a beast!”
Romero, 19 years old and a 23-time national amateur champion, will be fighting in his first scheduled 8-round bout. Romero takes on Javier Dario Aragon (7-1-1, 3 KOs) in the main event. This bout will also mark Romero’s debut as a middleweight, with him moving down one division from super-middleweight, where he has competed since turning professional.
