ROMAN COHORTS VANQUISH “SIRI”

In an exclusively all  Mexican war, Miguel “Mickey” Román overwhelmed brave but ageing former world champion Orlando “Siri” Salido by technical knockout 1:43 of the ninth round at  the Mandalay Bay Arena  in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Siri appeared fired up on his way to the ring throwing clusters of punches into the thin night air, while the Roman corner appeared calm, static  and even somewhat subdued.  Then Siri surprised everyone with a slow, ponderous start, in  which age seemed to seep  out of every pore of his thirty seven year old body. It a sluggish first round, which Mickey was easily dominating.

But the “Old man” had something in store!  In the dying embers of the round,  a huge overhead right crashed on to Mickey’s jaw, wobbling him.  Both had promised,  promised and promised it would never reach the final bell, and both characteristically went for broke.  Five years younger and appreciably fresher, Mickey started to cut down the distance and connect.  In round four a huge right to the head, put Siri down.  Badly hurt, he got up at eight.  And replied in the best way he knows, by fighting back, to sting Mickey.  The crowed were witnessing a thriller.

In the sixth, Siri got the range and leverage to perform. A long right hurt Mickey, both were landing at will, and the bell ended with Siri landing another big long right. But then the tide turned. A slugfest seventh was beginning to take its toll on Siri. In the ensuing round Mickey relentlessly pursued him and landed an awesome left hook to his head, dropping him like as worn pebble into a deep well.  Only a tremendously brave fighter could have got up from that.  Dazed, hurt and tired, but determined not to quit, Orlando was back on his feet at eight. He was going out on his shield!

It was now only a matter of time,  and in the ninth Mickey trapped Orlando on the ropes to batter him, to a sagging finish. Referee Robert Byrd stopped it at one minute and forty three seconds.  An exhausted, battered and world weary Orlando, sat on his stool in the corner for a seeming age, sipping water through parched and swollen lips. A concerned second dabbed a cotton bud, absorbing seeping blood from  a deep cut in his mouth.  He ballooned his cheeks with the liquid, before swallowing long and hard,  knowing he`d given absolutely everything, and then some, but this time it wasn`t enough. After thrills, spills and tremendous “Excitamente,” Father Time and Mickey Roman had finally caught up with him.  He announced his retirement. The warrior calls it a day with 45-14, 31 kos. While Mickey Roman, 58-12, 45 kos, marches on towards a confrontation with Miguel “Alacran” Berchelt, who loomed over him in the ring, congratulating and applauding a fight well fought.