(November 5th) It’s more challenging today in pro boxing to build a promising prospect into a legitimate title contender due to a myriad of reasons, especially in the United States, starting with the lack of television exposure, increasing expenses, and fewer major promoters.

Even a stud like Kansas middleweight Marco “El Tiburon” Romero, despite winning 23 national titles as an amateur and sporting a 10-0 record as a pro with 9 knockouts – all before his 20th birthday on November 21st -- remains a promotional free agent.

“I’m not surprised by what Marco has done in the past 1-½ years as a pro, 

(Marco Romero (L) picture by Michelle Griffin) but I’m a little disappointed,” Romero’s head trainer/manager John Brown said. “Marco has tremendous skills and he hasn’t turned 20 yet. If this were 5 years ago, Marco would probably have a contract with a major promoter and fight on ESPN, but there is no exposure on TV in the U.S. right now.

“The beauty of having a young fighter like Marco is we don’t have to hurry, so we will take advantage of this lull until things get better. Marco will continue working hard and steadily improving. We need to get this racehorse ready for when the starting gate opens, hopefully, in a few months.

“The way the landscape is now is difficult. No promoters do shows, at least in this part of the country, which is why we had to fight all over the country. We’re sitting tight and have made physical and financial efforts to make it happen. We don’t know if what Dana White and the Saudis are doing will work. We’ll see where Top Rank, Golden Boy, Queensbury and others will do in the United States. I’ll probably do a couple of shows in Kansas City and we always have Portland (Maine) next November to fight because of my good friend, Bobby Russo (promoter).”

Romero made his pro debut on June 24, 2024, and his most recent fight was at home in Olathe (KS) this past September 5th.  He is undefeated and hasn't lost a single round in the 19 he’s fought this far. Romero doesn't regret turning pro instead of remaining an amateur in order to pursue a spot on the 2028 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team. 

“It feels amazing to already be 10-0 in less than 1 ½ years and still only 19,” Romero commented. “Coach John (Brown), Al (Valenti, advisor), my father (assistant trainer Salvador Romero), me, and Sergio (Flores, assistant trainer) talked. We all knew we were going on a long stretch of fights. I’m grateful to be in the position I am, but this is only the beginning.

“One thing about me is that I don’t have regrets. Once we saw I wasn’t eligible for the last (2024) Olympics (he was underage at 17) and I wasn’t willing to wait another 4 years, we decided to go pro. I’ve adjusted very well with the changes from being an amateur to professional. I was ready for no headgear and smaller gloves. I’m loving it and have no regrets about turning pro when I did.”

Romero’s advisor, Valenti, added: “For the first time since black-and-white television there is no boxing on any television outlet in America. No more Showtime, HBO or ESPN. That’s the elephant in the room. It’s a challenge and moving forward, how can you build a market without television exposure? For now, we need perseverance, patience and wait to see what happens. But we may be waiting for a bus that may never come.”

Romero’s next fight is December 13th in Topeka, Kansas, against an opponent to be determined for an 8-round bout on the “Rumble in Title Town – A Night of Champions in the Capital City” card.                               

2026 promises to be a critical year for Marco Romero, highlighted by him securing his boxing future by signing with a world-class promoter.

About Turner Boxing Academy: Turner Boxing Academy (TBA) is a non-profit youth boxing club run by volunteers who are passionate about the sport and the positive impact it has on young people. The academy is based inside the Turner Recreation Center in Kansas City, Kansas. It is dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment for kids to learn and practice the art of boxing.

TBA is committed to instilling discipline, confidence, and a strong work ethic in our young athletes. We believe in the power of boxing to build character and resilience, and we are passionate about helping our students unlock their full potential both inside and outside the ring.