Tag Archives: Bobby Russo

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Kansas super middleweight prospect Marco “El Tiburón” Romero goes back to the future this Saturday in Portland, Maine

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KANSAS CITY, Se eka. (June 9, 2025) - Kansas boxing phenom Marco “El Tiburon” Romero (7-0, 6 Kos) started his pro career a year ago on Father’s Day Weekend in Portland, Maine, and he returns there this Saturday night for his third fight in The Forest City.

Despite the Cross Insurance Arena being more than 1,500 miles from his home in Olathe, Kansas, the 19-year-old Romero feels that Portland has become his second home, where he kick-started his pro career, and has developed a surprisingly growing fan base.

Romero stopped Jonathan Gary (2-1) ka June 15, 2024, in the second round at Cross Insurance Arena. Last October, Romero defeated Orlando Salgado (3-5) in Portland by way of a third-round technical knockout at the Exposition Building.

This Saturday the gifted super middleweight prospect faces “The Conqueror” Nafys Anas Garner (4-2, 3 Kos), fighting out of Sacramento (JOALO KA), in a scheduled 6-round bout at Cross Insurance Arena.

“I’m more motivated than ever and couldn’t be happier to see the plan unfolding like we talked about a couple of years ago with Coach John (Brown, manager/head trainer), Uncle Al (Valenti, advisor), my father (Salvatore Romero, mothusi mokoetlisi) and Sergio (Lipalesa, mothusi mokoetlisi).

“I’m ready and excited to be fighting again in Portland. I would love to bring a world title fight to Portland, where people appreciate good boxing. Traveling to fight is something I’m used to from my amateur days. Portland is like my second home because I’ve been treated so well there by everyone. I have big respect for Bobby Russo (a ntsetsa pele). He’s an amazing guy who has shown me respect from the start. He gave me my Khauta Boy (Most Outstanding Boxer Award, Russo is President of the National Golden Gloves), when I won my division at the (2024) National Golden Gloves.”

(L-R) – Bobby Russo & Marco Romero “Marco is excited to be fighting again in his adoptive city of Portland, which has the best fight fans in America,” Brown remarked. “He’s hoping to display the talents that will eventually lead him to a world title. Marco’s been lucky to fight every two months all over America, which is helping him build a national fan base.”
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The Future of Boxing 18-year-old Marco “El Tiburón” Romero Kansas super middleweight returns to ring

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Tonight in Portland, ME
KANSAS CITY, Se eka. (November 7, 2024) - Twenty-three-time national amateur champion, 18-year-old Kansas super middleweight prospect Marco “El Tiburón” Romero (3-0, 2 Kos), returns this Saturday night to the scene of his successful pro debut this past June in Portland, Maine, 1,300 miles northeast of his home in Overland Park, Kansas.

A promotional free agent, Romero is matched against Orlando “El Marro” Salgado (3-5, 2 Kos) in a four-round bout on a card promoted by Bobby Russo’s Portland Boxing Club in Portland’s Exposition Building.

“I had my first pro fight there and I love Portland people, especially Bobby Russo (who is also President of the National Golden Gloves),” Romero said. “I loved the crowd, everybody was so welcoming, a re, ‘Go KC.’ There’s good energy and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Romero, who will celebrate his 19go th birthday on Nov. 19, is a special boxer and young man. The last 12 months have been absolutely amazing whirlwind for him in boxing.

Because he hadn’t reached the mandatory age of 18 leha ho le joalo, and his weight class (bartolomeo middleweight) wasn’t included in 2024 Olympic boxing, Romero never seriously considered waiting for a shot at making the U.S. Olympic Team. Ho e-na, his eyes were on the prize of becoming a professional fighter.

Last December, Romero captured top honors at the prestigious USA Boxing National Championships in Lafayette, Louisiana, followed closely by parlaying that to gold medal performance at the 2024 National Golden Gloves Tournament in Detroit.

All told, in the last 12 dikgwedi tse, he was 9-0 in amateur competition, including three at The Nationals and five at The Golden Gloves, plus three pro victories for a remarkable 12-0 rekoto (three pro and 8 in elite national amateur competition) during this relatively short span.

The Romero Plan has always been to close out his incredible amateur career by winning The Nationals and Golden Gloves, at which he was also named Most Outstanding Boxer, known as the Golden Boy Award, and then turn pro. Mission accomplished!
(L-R) – National Golden Gloves President Bobby Russo and Marco Romero with his Golden Gloves belt and Golden Boy Award)

“I would have liked to have fought in the Olympics,” he explained, “because all of the good, young boxers were there, and we (U.S. banna ba) haven’t won an Olympic Gold Medal since Andre Ward in 2004. But I didn’t turn 18 until two weeks prior to the (Paris) Olympics and my weight class wasn’t contested there.

"Joale, I’m on a new journey as a pro. Ka botsepehi, there aren’t too many differences between the amateurs and pros. The weigh-ins are right before the fight in the amateurs and the night before as a pro. I don’t have any problems fighting without headgear or with smaller gloves. To me there are really no big differences. Ke hlahetse ho loana!”

Romero describes himself as a heavy hitter who throws every punch with bad intentions. He’s very explosive with ring intelligence, capable of punishing his opponent by breaking them down until they either quit because they can’t take any additional punishment or get put to sleep.

In Romero’s corner is a legend in his own right, 77-year-old John Brown, who is Marco’s head trainer and manager, in the same role he played for world heavyweight champion Tommy Morrison (48-3-1, 42 Kos) from his amateur days through his first 39 lan lintoa, 1988 ho 1993. The highlight, ehlile, was Morrison’s 12-round unanimous decision over George Foreman for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight tlotla.

Brown clearly doesn’t need to be in Romero’s corner to survive; leha ho le joalo, John knows that Marco is a special fighter with tremendous upside, and he’s vowed to get him to the top of the boxing mountain.
“I’m really excited about this kid,” Brown remarked, “and my job is to make him successful for himself and his family. Marco is an amazing kid. He has experience having boxed 10 years and 135 tsenwe lintoa. He has good looks and a good personality, great sense of humor, speaks very well in English and Spanish, maturity beyond his years, and a work ethic that’s difficult to find in boxing.

“He’s hungry to be successful in life and knows that boxing is the vehicle to get him there. And he’s with the right people who don’t need to feed people. Anything could go wrong like injuries or illnesses, but it’s all there for him and a clear path. In terms of potential, Marco is in a rare class as part of a typical Mexican American family, tight knit and expanding. He respects everyone and Marco is a once in a lifetime talent.”

Brown knows that a champion boxer needs a supportive team in his corner. Romero has that and much more. In addition to Brown, the team is comprised of Marco’s father, Salvador, who encouraged his son to become a boxer at the tender age of seven, and he has remained with Marco through every step of his boxing journey. Brown also brought in one of his former amateur champions, Sergio Flores, who is a very successful businessman. Flores handles the tough physical training aspects required for success in the ring along with mitt work to help keep Marco’s skills razor sharp.

Fans attending this Saturday night’s show in Portland can look back in a few years and say they saw The Future of Boxing, Marco “El Tiburon” Romero, when he was just an 18-year-old prospect starting out on his mission to greatness.
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New England Golden Gloves Championship OPEN CLASS FINALS RESULTS

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Members of the open class winning-N.E. team from Western NE celebrate
(ho feta ditshwantsho tse ka tlase – all courtesy of Jeffrey Freeman / KO Digest)
Lowell, Boima. (February 26, 2016) – Western New England dominated the open class finals of the New England Tournament of Champions, part of the 70go th annual Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championship, winning seven of 10 matches last night at historic Lowell Memorial Auditorium.
The eight men’s individual open class winners earned spots on Team New England for the 2016 National Golden Gloves Championships, Ka 16-21, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Team New England includes two of the top ranked boxers in the country, leseli heavyweight Elvis Figueroa and light welterweight Jaime Ortiz Rodriguez (repeat NE champion), both members of N.E. open class team champion from Western NE. Burlington, MA featherweight Amanda Pavone captured her sixth NE. tlotla.
“In the last 10 lilemo tse,” explained New England Golden Gloves Executive Director Bobby Russo, “we hadn’t been on a good run. Attendance dropped off a little each year. Last year’s horrible weather killed us. Selemong sena, leha ho le joalo, the excitement was back and attendance was up 30-percent. There was a younger crowd and many novice boxers had good fan bases, which we need to build up every year. We had a lot of good fights and good boxers this year. Boxing is back in Lowell! We had a great season.
“Team New England will be very strong. We have a young team but many of these boxers have a lot of invaluable experience from Junior Olympics competition, from heavyweight on down. I think we have an impressive team that will do very well at The Nationals this year.”
Team champions were Western N.E. in the open class, Central N.E. in the novice class.
Three New England novice champions were also crowned last night. See complete results below as well as more pictures.
Proceeds from the Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championship go towards sending the New England Golden Gloves champions to the National Golden Gloves Championship, in addition to supporting local athletes and area gyms, the Boys & Girls Club, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, cancer funds, scholarships and many other great charitable causes.
NEW ENGLAND TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS FINALS RESULTS
(bafenyi ho tse thathamisitsoeng pele)
OPEN CLASS
BANTAMWEIGHTS (114 liponto.)
James Aquino, Meriden, CT (WNE)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Joe Ferrer, New Bedford, MA (SNE)
FEATHERWEIGHTS (123 liponto.)
Jacob Marrero, Bridgeport, CT (WNE)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Gabriel Morales, Portland, ME (NNE)
FEMALE FEATHERWEIGHTS (125.liponto.)
Amanda Pavone, Burlington, MA (CNE)
Wdec4 (5-0)
Eydir Lima, Worcester, MA (WNE)
LIGHTWEIGHTS (132 liponto.)
Anuel Rosa-Lopez, New Haven, CT (WNE)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Marcelino Debarros, North Providence, RI
LIGHT WELTERWEIGHTS (141 liponto.)
Jaime Ortiz Rodriguez, Worcester, MA (WNE)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Abraham Nova, Brookline, MA (CNE)
FEMALE LIGHT WELTERWEIGHTS (141 liponto.)
Lindsay Kyajohnia, Westrook, ME (NNE)
Walkover
Meisha Tuitt, Springfield, MA (WNE)
WELTERWEIGHTS (152 liponto.)
Anthony Laureano, East Hartford, CT (WNE)
WDEC (4-1)
Joseph Muese, Millis, MA (CNE)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS (165 liponto.)
Victor Reynoso, Providence, RI (SNE)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Jalen Renaud, Springfield, MA (WNE)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS (178 liponto.)
Elvis Figueroa, New Haven, CT (WNE)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Henry Ventura, North Dartmouth, MA (SNE)
HEAVYWEIGHTS (201 liponto.)
Derek Edmonds, Worcester, MA (WNE)
WDEC3 (4-1)
Jesus Flores, Methuen, MA (CNE)
NOVICE CLASS
FEMALE BANTAMWEIGHTS (112 liponto.)
Alissa Dias, Boston, MA (CNE)
WRSC1 (1:27)
Rachel Albino, Woodbury, CT (WNE)
FEMALE FEATHERWEIGHTS (125 liponto.)
Katherine Parker, Suitate, RI (SNE)
WRSC1 (0:21)
Sierra Hoey, Danielson, CT (WNE)
LIGHT WELTERWEIGHTS (141 liponto.)
Nathan Rosa, Lowell, MA (CNE)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Jose Masonet, Hartford, CT (WNE)
_______________________________________________________________________
NNE – Northern New England (Burlington, VT)
CNE – Central New England (Lowell, MA)
WNE – Western New England (Holyoke, MA)
SNE – Southern New England (Fall River, MA)
Thomas Costello Memorial Award
Most Outstanding Boxer – Open Class

Jaime Ortiz Rodriguez
Luis Ayala Memorial Award
Most Outstanding Boxer – Novice Class
(L-R) – Gabriel Morales & Bobby Russo
2016 Rocky Marciano Memorial Award
New England Heavyweight Champion
Demek Edmonds
Tlhahisoleseding:
Tournament Executive Director: Bobby Russo
Director of Contestants: Art Ramalho
Chief of Officials: Laurie Purcell
'Moleli oa Mehala: John Vena
Lefelo la: Lowell Sehopotso holong, 50 Merrimack St., Lowell, MA
Twitter: @LowellGloves
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Central New England (Greater Lowell) 70th annual Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championship Second preliminary round results from Lowell

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Lowell, Boima. (January 16, 2016) – The Central New England (Greater Lowell) preliminary-round of the 70th annual Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championship concluded last night at historic Lowell Memorial Auditorium with 12 second-round matches in the novice class.
Knockouts (4) and shutout decisions were the theme last night as the large crowd really got into the exciting action, particularly the explosive knockout performances by Methuen (MA) middleweight Yamarco Guzman and Franklin (MA) heavyweight Jared Gately.
The quarterfinals, featuring open and novice class matches, e tla tšoaroa latelang Labohlano bosiu (Jan. 22) at Lowell Memorial Auditorium. See the complete 2016 schedule below as well as last night’s results.
$70 for ’70 – A special offer to celebrate the 70go th edition of the Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championship is available to purchase: $70.00 season ticket (7 remaining events) in the balcony. To purchase call the Lowell Memorial Auditorium box office at1.866.722.8881 or order online at www.LowellMemorialAuditorium.le. Individual event tickets are also available to purchase for $17.00, $15.00 kapa $12.00.
Proceeds from the Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championship go towards sending the New England Golden Gloves champions to the National Golden Gloves Championship (2016 in Salt Lake City, Utah), in addition to supporting local athletes and area gyms, the Boys & Girls Club, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, cancer funds, scholarships and many other great charitable causes.
Official Results
(winner listed first each match)
Novice Division
LIGHTWEIGHTS (132 liponto.)
Jacob Solomon (Brookline, MA – The Ring)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Fabio D’Ambrosio (KOTSI, MA – Somerville Boxing)
FEMALE LIGHTWEIGHTS (132 liponto.)
Stephanie Khan (Brighton, MA – The Ring)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Jen Almeida (Wilmington, MA – Jim McNally’s)
LIGHT WELTERWEIGHTS (141 liponto.)
Nathan Rosa (Lowell – West End)
WTKO3 (0:26)
Richard Tosi (Wakefield, MA – MK Boxing)
WELTERWEIGHTS (152 liponto.)
Kenny Larson (Salem, MA – Somerville Boxing)
Wtko2 (2:00)
Joshua Wood (Lowell, MA – West End)
MIDDLEWEIGHTS (165 liponto.)
Yamarco Guzman (Methuen, MA – Canal Street)
WTKO1 (0:43)
Cusaj Thomas (Chestnut Hill, MA – Nonantum Boxing)
Sean McDonough (Milton, MA – TNT Boxing)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Brandon Brunell (Southbridge, MA – The Club by George Foreman)
Peter Maher (Arlington, MA – Somerville Boxing)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Adrian Gedney (Gloucester, MA – Gloucester,Boxing)
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS (178 liponto.)
Justin Deflumeri, (Merrimack, NH – Nashua PAL)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Abdul Morelly (Providence, RI – Union Street Boxing)
Joseph DaSilva (Gloucester, MA – Gloucester Boxing)
WDEC3 (5-0)
Daniel McNamara (Allston, MA – Boston Boxing)
HEAVYWEIGHTS (201 liponto.)
Jared Gately (Franklin, MA – Peter Welch’s)
WTKO3 (0:10)
Zachary Calmus (Gloucester – Redline Fight Sports)
SUPER HEAVYWEIGHTS (201+ liponto.)
Ryan Brooks (Weymouth, MA – Grealish Boxing)
WDEC3
Floran Kacaku (Malden, MA – Redline Fight Sports)
Shane Begin (Brighton, MA – Nonantum Boxing)
WDEC3 (5-0)
James Anderson (Dorchester, MA – Dorchester Boxing Club)
70go th annual Lowell Sun Charities Golden Gloves Championship Schedule
(Lowell Sehopotso holong – 6:30 p.m. mamati a bulehileng, 7:30 p.m. pele gia)
Central New England (Greater Lowell)
Open & Novice Quarterfinal Round – Labohlano, Jan. 22
Open & Novice Class Semifinals, C.N.E. – Labone, Jan. 28
Open & Novice Class Championship Finals – Labone, Feb. 4
New England Tournament of Champions
Novice Class Semifinals – Labone, Feb. 11
Novice Class Championship Finals – Feb. 18
Open Class Semifinals – Laboraro, Feb. 24
Open Class Championship Finals – Labone, Feb. 25
Tlhahisoleseding:
Tournament Executive Director: Bobby Russo
Director of Contestants: Art Ramalho
Chief of Officials: Lauri Purcell
'Moleli oa Mehala: John Vena
Lefelo la: Lowell Sehopotso holong, 50 Merrimack St., Lowell, MA
Twitter: @LowellGloves
CONTACT: Bob Trieger, Full Lekgotla la PRESS, 978.590.0470, bobtfcp@hotmail.com, @FightPublicist
ABOUT LOWELL SUN CHARITIES: Thehilweng ho ya ka 1947, Lowell Sun Charities is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to enrich the quality of life for children, families, and the community, offering programs that promote respect and dignity. Rooted in a tradition of care and compassion, Lowell Sun Charities was originally founded to respond to the ever-increasing challenges of the community. 2016 marks the 70go th year the Golden Gloves have been held in the great city of Lowell, Massachusetts.
Lowell Sun Charities is a community program that not only makes champions in the ring but also makes champions in life. Every year these young athletes devote themselves to a sport which teaches discipline, respect, and clean lifestyle for a chance to win a prestigious Golden Gloves Championship.