Rosa Returns Home After Ordeal
Boxing news broke out a few weeks ago of Erick Rosa being detained by officials in Thailand in one of the craziest boxing stories in recent history.
Let’s check the latest Boxing news, stats, and Boxing lines. We’ve got plenty of Boxing picks for you to consider.
What Happened?
Erick Rosa, the WBA regular titleholder, traveled from his home in the Dominican Republic to Thailand with his team to challenge Knockout CP Freshmart (aka Thammanoon Niyomtrong) for the WBA title.
However, when he arrived, he was unable to enter the country for undisclosed reasons. Rosa’s promoter, Belgica Pena of Shuan Promotions, was keen to share what happened, expressing frustration at the difficulties of securing a fight with Freshmart for her fighter.
“We had a lot of trouble entering Thailand because the promoters had not correctly completed the necessary documentation to enter the country,” Pena said.
“Erick was detained for 16 hours at the airport after traveling for two days to reach Thailand. After releasing him, they withheld his passport and we were practically illegal in a foreign country.”
This isn’t the first time Pena has faced obstacles in arranging a fight between boxing picks underdog Rosa and Freshmart. At the WBA annual convention in 2022, a purse bid was held for the Freshmart-Rosa fight, with both sides taking part.
Freshmart’s promoter won the bid with an offer of $140,000, outbidding Rosa’s backer, who offered $122,000. Despite the setback, Rosa remained determined to face Freshmart for the WBA title.
Knockout CP Freshmart Vs Erick Rosa – WILL NOT be taking place on March 1st- Roca (or a team member?) hasn’t been allowed to enter Thailand due to having less than 6 months left on their passport. Speculation is that ArAr Andales will be a late replacement for Rosa.
(Komthai)— Scott Graveson (@kebark) February 24, 2023
Who Would Have Won?
Freshmart is a formidable opponent, with a record of 24-0 and nine knockouts. He is The Ring’s No. 1-rated strawweight and has defended his WBA title against 11 challengers.
Rosa, on the other hand, is a relatively new professional fighter with a record of 5-0 and one knockout. He had a successful amateur career before turning professional in October 2020. The ambitious 22-year-old Dominican southpaw impressed many with his domination of 105-pound stalwart Byron Castellon in his second outing.
He followed that with a third-round knockout of prospect Kenny Cano, living up to early expectations.
The potential Freshmart-Rosa fight would have been a significant challenge for both fighters. For Freshmart, it would have been another opportunity to defend his WBA title and cement his status as one of the top strawweights in the world. It would have been a chance for Rosa to unify the WBA titles and prove himself as a rising star in the division.
Unfortunately, the fight did not happen, and whether it will be rescheduled is unclear.
So Knockout CP Freshmart vs Erick Rosa is officially off. What a shit show.
— Jamie Bourne (@BoxeoBourne) February 21, 2023
“I understand that my boxer was not in a physical or mental condition to fight in a fight as important as this,” Pena continued. “We hope that according to the WBA rules we can now stage the fight since we are the second to participate in the auction.”
Boxing lines have been taken down for the fight. We have little idea if this fight will ever go ahead, mostly due to Rosa unlikely wanting to head back to Thailand.
The WBA is set to make a decision on whether the fight will go ahead. Boxing betting lines would come back with Freshmart as the favorite, but Rosa is a quality fighter on the rise and the sportsbook could take money for him.
All sports bets placed on the original fight have been refunded.
