After a scrappy and fragmented bout held at the PalaTorrino in Rome under the De Carolis Promotions banner, Stephanie Silva was carried aloft in triumph. The Italian boxer narrowly outpointed the determined Spaniard Mary Romero to claim the WBC Silver super flyweight title. The result came by Majority Decision: two judges gave Silva a two-point edge (96–94), while the third judge scored it a draw (95–95).
It was clear from the opening moments that experienced referee Massimo Barrovecchio was in for a long night, as both boxers—used to playing the aggressor—clashed heads twice in quick succession.
The styles of the two fighters, both reluctant to take a step back and aggressive in their approach, led to a high number of clinches from the outset. However, during the first three rounds, Silva managed to stand out by landing a few clean shots with cunning before getting tied up on the inside.
Romero responded with determination, and starting from the fourth round, she found her rhythm and landed some solid body shots. Silva, guarding her face with a high guard, left a small opening to the midsection, which the Spanish fighter began to target.
Nevertheless, our flag bearer made the necessary adjustments, and after the midway point, Romero’s momentum began to fade. Several rounds were difficult to score due to chaotic exchanges that the referee struggled to break up, but the overall impression was that Silva maintained a slight edge.
The Italian closed the eighth round well, anticipating her opponent with inside punches before they got tangled up, heading into the so-called “championship rounds” with the wind in her sails.
Nothing major occurred in the final two rounds. The most dramatic moment may well have been Mary Romero’s wrestling move in the closing seconds of the ninth round, when, frustrated by her inability to mount effective offense, she threw her opponent to the canvas.
The Spaniard’s desperate attacks in the final two minutes—likely driven by her awareness of being behind on the cards—had no real effect, as Silva neutralized them cleverly, even resorting to a bit of gamesmanship.
Personally, I scored it 96–94 for the Italian, who in my view landed the cleaner shots thanks to her superior hand speed. I agree with the two decisive official scorecards, but I don’t find the third judge’s draw scandalous, as many rounds were extremely close and hard to call.
With this win, Silva picked up a significant belt—not so much for the intrinsic value of the WBC Silver title, but because it could bring her closer to a shot at the world title. The Italian already fought for the IBF world championship in November 2023, when she lost a decision to Mexico’s Irma Garcia. The WBC super flyweight title currently belongs to another Mexican, Asley Gonzalez Macias, and it would be fantastic if Stephanie earned another chance to make her dream come true.