Leonard Ellerbe, the promoter for Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero, looked shaken in the aftermath of watching his fighter get decimated by challenger Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz, losing his WBA light welterweight title in an eighth-round knockout last Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Poor Ellerbe looked shell-shocked after witnessing Rolly get blasted out by Cruz, and all he could do was try to make light of the defeat.
Damage Control Mode: Activated
Ellerbe appeared to be trying to minimize the impact of Rolly (15-2, 13 KOs) being wiped out by Pitbull Cruz, repeatedly saying, “This is boxing.”
Unfortunately, this loss, the second in Rolly’s last three fights, could ruin his money-making potential, which is not a good thing for Mayweather Promotions because they promote the guy, and his value drops now.
What does Ellerbe and Floyd do with Rolly now after this catastrophe? They can forget about a rematch with Pitbull Cruz, as he’s already called out IBF 140lb champ Subriel Matias, and you can bet that a big-money clash against WBC champion Devin Haney could be in the cards.
Desperate Spin Cycle
“A good fight. Rolly came up short tonight. Congratulations to Pitbull and his team. They fought a very good fight,” said Leonard Ellerbe, the promoter for Rolly Romero, to Fight Hub TV’s YouTube channel, reacting to his knockout loss to Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz.
“No, Rolly doesn’t need a rest. This is boxing. S*** happens. He didn’t underestimate him. He was in phenomenal shape and did some good things in the fight,” Ellerbe continued, in damage control mode, trying to spin. “He was boxing and kind of got away from that.
“It just happens. I’m proud of Rolly. He went in there and gave it his all. He came up short tonight. It happens; it’s a part of the sport. He came off of a tough loss tonight. Again, this is boxing. I’m not even thinking about that. I’m concerned with the health and welfare of my fighters. He’s OK,” said Ellerbe.
