Roger Rosa is 29 and does not have a captivating boxing record. In fact, the Brazilian fighter is just 5-4-1-1(no contest). His record certainly does not jump out at you, earmarking a pugilist of note.
He is just 5-4, rather short. His Bahamian opponent for the big rebound boxing show in the country, scheduled for Friday, December 13, is national super featherweight champion Meacher Major. Not particularly tall either, Major however has a three -inch height advantage over Rosa.
Major is 20-6-1-1 (no contest) and as such is the much more experienced fighter.
So what makes this upcoming bout so compelling that the expectation is that it will lead to a renaissance of professional boxing in the country? On the surface, little about Rosa seems to point towards thrills and fireworks coming out of the bout with Major.
After closely viewing the Brazilian when he came in town to be present for the press conference Friday, November 22 at Mario's Bowling and Entertainment Palace, most observers however came away with the view that Rosa will give Major a whole lot to figure out.
It was not so much what came out of the mouth of the compact and diminutive boxer, Rosa. It was simply the conviction with which he spoke.
He did say a lot that could be considered mere rhetorical, promotional "buzz comments" that rankled Bahamians present at the press conference. He appeared to have little concern for Major being the kind of opponent who can beat him, given the general national environment we call the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. He actually said there is "no way a guy from a little country" like The Bahamas can beat him.
He tried to be diplomatic and render respect to Major, noting his experience. Nevertheless, Rosa was verbally
aggressive. He compared himself to Mike Tyson, the former world heavyweight champion who chewed up and spat out a lot of opponents taller than he.
Physically, Rosa looks to be a package that could spell a lot of trouble, if Major's strategy is not able to counter that of his opponent. For instance, as the shorter foe and based on his announced ring demeanor, Rosa will seek to carry the fight to Major.
Fighting in the backyard of the local favorite, he well understands that he has to make a huge impression to ensure victory. Rosa called Meacher a "predictable, orthodox" fighter.
Hype aside however, there is another factor that weighs in heavily on the December 13th match.
The fighters are each coming off two consecutive defeats. They both will be confronted by a big decision if saddled with another defeat. Meacher, for his part, understands very well what is in front of him.
"I am seriously going into this fight. I have my plans for a post career but it is in me to see just where do I go. My plan is to win big against Rosa. I am focused only on winning," said Major.
Underneath the surface of preparation for December 13, no doubt is the knowledge that this is crunch time and a third consecutive defeat will be a tough matter for him to deal with. It will indeed,
Rosa on the other hand, needs a victory to boost his confidence that at 29, he still can craft a career of note in boxing.
So in essence, Major and Rosa are confronted with a must-win situation. This is the key aspect that will likely result in a war on the night of December 13 in the Rainforest Theatre.
The ingredients are such that the bout is likely to be a blockbuster, a boost for boxing in The Bahamas, no matter who wins.

o To respond to this sports feature, kindly contact Fred Sturrup at sturrup1504@gmail.com.

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