15-0 super middleweight prospect Marco Romero just finished an “eye-opening” training camp in Montreal, going toe-to-toe with two legit world champions. This isn’t just about getting rounds in, the 20-year-old talent was in the ring with IBF World Champion Osleys Iglesias and WBC World Champion Christian Mbilli, and he says he held his own. That’s a huge statement heading into his Saturday fight.
Sparring With The Best of the Best
Romero, whose record sits at an impressive 15-0 with 13 KOs, put in 40 rounds of sparring during this intense camp. He wasn’t just hitting mitts, he was exchanging leather with some serious heavy hitters. Beyond Iglesias (16-0, 15 KOs) from Cuba and Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) from Montreal via Cameroon, Romero also trained with NABA Champion Iman Khataev (13-1, 12 KOs) and Erik Bazinyan (32-1-1, 3 KOs). All these guys train in Quebec and are signed with Eye of the Tiger Management in Montreal, so Romero was truly in a den of killers.
He had some serious praise for Iglesias, calling him an “awesome guy who is the boogeyman of the super middleweight division.” Romero noted that Iglesias, being Cuban, made it easier to communicate, adding, “He works super hard and has power in both hands, and he’s strong, long, and tall. He’s world champion for a reason.” Iglesias himself is coming off a sensational seventh-round knockout win just last week in Montreal over Oliver Zaren.
What It Means When You Share a Ring With Champs
Romero also shared the ring with Christian Mbilli, who is just two weeks out from a scheduled fight against Canelo Álvarez in Riyadh. Romero described Mbilli as “super humble,” though he mentioned they “talked less because he’s French.” He added, “He’s a strong, powerful guy with speed. He’s a big guy and a good combination puncher. He’s going to give Canelo a war. It was an honor to share the ring with these world champions and hold my own.”
This wasn’t just about trading punches. Romero said he often spoke with these champions, observed their training, and learned a ton about their mindset. He called the experience “another great experience at training camp again in Montreal,” and believes being called back “to work with two world champions shows that I’m getting close to being on their level. I’m even more motivated to get on th.” That kind of insight and motivation can change a fighter.
This Saturday, Romero (15-0) steps into The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas to face Uruguay’s Braulio Ferreira (8-3, 3 KOs) in an eight-round, 165-pound catchweight bout. It’s opening the main card and you can catch it on TNT, truTV, and DAZN. After going rounds with the “boogeyman” and a guy set to fight Canelo, all eyes will be on Romero to see if he can keep that perfect record rolling.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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