[Rocco Del Sesto]

Gene Romero Rating 2 USA
LHW 1966-68
10 wins / 9 losses / 0 draw / 5 KO

Hometown: New Orleans, LA

Rating by: Rocco Del Sesto

Boxrec and the 1968 Ring Record Book both list Romero as a heavyweight and his fight weight at times was borderline slim heavyweight but, accounts I read in 1967 issues of The Ring and just looking at his list of opponents who were mostly LHW left me with the decision that Romero really should be a LHW.

Romero in his short 2 year stint fought some of the top young light heavyweights of the mid sixties. He defeated Cassius Scott Clay twice and won by decision over Bobby Dennard in 1966. He lost fights to Mark Tessman and Joe Burns. In March and April 1967 he first lost a 10 round decision to Karl Zurheide then defeated Zurheide by TKO in 10 hard fought rounds. He then lost three straight 10 round decisions to Bobby Dennard, Benny Lee Bowser and Mark Tessman. He snapped the loosing string with a 10 round decision in mid August over Bowser. Two more 10 round decisions dropped to Karl Zurheide and Paul Patin finnished out a busy 1967 for Romero.

Three fights in early 1968 then is the last shown for Romero in boxrec as he wins by TKO over Willie Davis and then wins a spilt decision in 10 rounds over Benny Lee Bowser in late February. AJ Staples then knocks out Romero in the 10th round on April 1st in St. Louis, Missouri to finish Romero's brief career.