Rolando Romero withdrawn from Gervonta Davis fight after sexual assault allegation; Isaac Cruz to replace him, sources at ESPN say

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October 30, 2021

Mike Coppinger ESPN

Rolando Romero has been removed from his Dec. 5 fight with Gervonta Davis, a Showtime spokesperson told ESPN on Monday.

Isaac Cruz has agreed to a deal to replace Romero in the Staples Center fight on Showtime pay-per-view, sources told ESPN. Cruz, a 23-year-old Mexican, was considered for Davis’ mission before Romero was finally chosen.

The news comes after a woman on Thursday accused Romero, 26, of sexual assault in a Twitter post. She did not say when the alleged incident happened, but tweeted on Friday that she had filed a police report.

A spokesperson for the Henderson, Nevada Police Department told ESPN he received an incident report involving Romero on Friday and provided a date of birth that matched the boxer’s date of birth. The spokesperson said there was an open investigation related to the alleged incident.

“Although the allegations against me are totally false and I will prove that through the legal system, I agree that it is in the best interests of everyone involved that I do not attend the next pay-per-view event,” Romero said in a statement. statement posted on his Instagram page. “After I clear my name, I will return to the ring as soon as possible.”

Cruz (22-1-1, 15 KOs) defeated former champion Francisco Vargas in June. He was No. 24 in ESPN’s ranking of the 25 best boxers under 25.

Romero (14-0, 12 KOs) scored a seventh round TKO for Anthony Yigit in July. The Las Vegas native is set to earn a career-high salary in his first major fight.

Davis (25-0, 24 KOs), a former junior lightweight title holder, is one of the sport’s biggest attractions and is ranked No. 4 in both lightweight and junior. His last two fights have topped Showtime’s pay-per-views.

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