Borboa to Defend Super-Flyweight Title Tonight

The fourth defense of his International Boxing Federation super-flyweight title, Julio Cesar Borboa says, will be strange.

Tonight at the Forum, Borboa (21-4, 19 knockouts) will fight Jorge Luis Roman, the younger brother of Borboa’s idol, Gilberto Roman, a two-time world champion who died in a car accident three years ago.

“I know fighting his brother, it’s going to be weird, especially early on,” Borboa said through a translator. “But a fight’s a fight.”

Borboa, one of six current Mexican-born world champions, won his title in a surprise 12th-round knockout over Robert Quiroga in January of 1993.

Roman (17-9-2, 8 KOs) earned this title shot by upsetting No. 1-ranked Scotty Olson in a 10-round decision Feb. 19 at the Forum.

Also on the card, junior-lightweight Carlos (Famous) Hernandez (15-0-1, 8 KOs) will fight Narciso Valenzuela (35-14-2, 23 KOs) in a 10-round bout.