Boxing fans were not too pleased following the WBA superlightweight title bout between Rolly Romero and Ismael Barroso, including undisputed female middleweight champion Claressa Shields. The fight which took place in Las Vegas Chelsea Ballroom and broadcast by Showtime was filled with controversy after Romero secured a ninth-round stoppage over his opponent. Romero was initially touted to face Alberto Puello but his opponent was changed after the latter tested positive for the banned substance clomifene.

Barroso dominated the first two rounds, and would even get a knockdown on ‘Rolly’ in the third round. However, the fight was abruptly stopped by referee Tony Weeks in the ninth with about 20 seconds left despite there being no sign of the 40-year-old being hurt. This stoppage has caused a lot of buzz in the boxing community with Shields even expressing her frustrations with this.

Claressa Shields frustrated over Rolly Romero’s controversial win

The undisputed champion took to Twitter and called out the refereeing in the sport. She also praised Barroso claiming that he does not fight like a 40-year-old, adding that this fight ruined her weekend.

“Boxing took an L tonight. That sh*t was pathetic. And Barrasso ain’t 40 Idc what y’all say. Good night y’all done ruined the GWOAT weekend:” she wrote.

Many boxing fans shared Shields’ sentiment, criticizing the decision to end the fight prematurely. Moreover, the controversy further highlights the issues within the sport, including questionable scoring. In the end, it is important for the governing bodies of the sport to address these concerns and take steps toward improving the fairness and transparency of boxing.

Rolly Romero calls out Ryan Garcia following his controversial win

The now 15-1 boxer called out a familiar foe after his victory over Barroso. When asked about giving a rematch to the Venezuelan, he dismissed the notion and stated that he wanted to fight Ryan Garcia next.

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“Only fight I care about right now is Ryan Garcia. Then the winner between that and me gets Gervonta Davis,” he said.

This fight does make sense considering both fighters have lost to Gervonta Davis. However, given Romero’s current performances, it will be hard for him to convince KingRy’s team to book the fight. Nevertheless, in the world of boxing, fights with the potential to sell PPV will always be favored. Now, only time will tell if Romero will get his wish and face off against Garcia, or if other challengers will emerge to take their place.

What did you think about Shield’s reaction to Romero’s controversial win? Let us know in the comments.

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