Omar Juarez already has an opponent for his next scheduled bout, but he clearly has one eye on another foe.
Juarez (14-2, 5 KOs) will take on Clarence Booth (21-9, 13 KOs) on Wednesday at ProBox TV Events Center in Plant City, Florida. But if Juarez has his way, next up will be WBA junior welterweight titleholder Rolando “Rolly” Romero.
Juarez hoped that a win in his previous bout would propel him into a fight with Romero, but he fell to Rances Barthelemy in a majority decision loss last May. But Juarez believes he is now in the same spot against Booth, with a win potentially putting him in line to face Romero. So he is training with coach Rick Nunez in San Antonio, Texas, aiming to put on the performance of a lifetime on Wednesday.
“After the fight with Rances, I was looking to fight [Romero],” Juarez told Boxing Scene, noting that this doesn’t mean he is looking past Booth. “Of course, plans change. But I am going to get back to contender status. The fight that I really want is with Rolly.”
Romero is also set to fight this week, the first defense of his world title, against Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz on Saturday in Las Vegas. Despite being the titleholder, Romero is the underdog. After winning his belt in less-than-convincing fashion last May (when referee Tony Weeks prematurely stopped a fight with Ismael Barroso), Romero hasn’t fought since.
“I think Pitbull is going to edge it out,” Juarez said. “Pitbull is very tough, but we will see what happens.”
Juarez seems to believe that if he wins impressively, a future contest between the two fighters can be made – especially if Romero were to lose.
“I believe, with my style, I know that I can dominate him,” Juarez said. “All he has is power. But at the same time, it would be the right move to make in my career.
“I am looking to take the W,” Juarez said, “and I really believe with my abilities I can beat Rolly.”