Roman Defends Title Tonight at Forum

Gilberto Roman, one of the most successful boxing champions of the ‘80s, will defend his World Boxing Council super-flyweight championship for the 11th time tonight at the Forum. Roman, of Mexico City, meets a fighter he has fought twice and has yet to defeat, Santos Laciar of Argentina. Roman has a 52-4-1 record, Laciar a 77-8-11 mark.

Also on tonight’s card is a Forum super-featherweight tournament semifinal bout between Kenny Baysmore, 23-2-1, and Rogelio Lopez, 17-8-1.

The main event is a matchup of two veterans who both have held the WBC super-flyweight title. Roman won it in Osaka, Japan, when, as a 3-1 underdog, he upset Jiro Watanabe. Roman successfully defended the championship six times--including a draw with Laciar in Argentina--before losing it on a cut to Laciar in Reims, France, in 1987.

Laciar lost the championship to Sugar Baby Rojas in the summer of 1987, and Roman reclaimed it 17 months ago with a decision over Rojas in Miami.

Roman has defended the championship four times in his second go-round as champion, a decision over Juan Carazo of Puerto Rico at the Forum last June.

The TKO loss to Laciar in 1987 is Roman’s only defeat in his last 23 fights.

Laciar, ranked No. 1 by the WBC, is 30 and turned pro in 1976. Roman, 28, has been a pro since 1981, after having boxed for Mexico’s 1980 Olympic team.

This fight, a WBC mandatory defense for Roman, was originally scheduled for July 31 but was postponed when Roman suffered a hand injury in training.

Roman will make $45,000 and Laciar $15,000. Baysmore and Lopez are fighting for a purse of $13,000 tonight but a total prize of $100,000 awaits the tournament winner.

The tournament bout starts at 7 p.m., Roman-Laciar at 8.