By Ronnie Nathanielsz

Former world champion Omar Nino says he wants to win by a knockout over reigning WBC light flyweight champion Rodel Mayol or die trying in Queretaro, Mexico on June 19.

Nino Romero is still bitter over the 3rd round technical draw in his first clash with Mayol when he caught the Filipino with a clear low blow and as referee Vic Drackulich moved in to halt the action cracked Mayol with a left hook that knocked him out cold. After some confusion WBC secretary general Maurico Sulaiman and the committee at ringside correctly ruled the fight a technical draw.

Mayol  won the title with another somewhat controversial 2nd round TKO over longtime champion Edgar Sosa who was groggy after an accidental head-butt which dropped him in round one and was at the receiving end of a flurry of punches on the ropes when the referee called a halt in round two.

Grimly determined to win the WBC green and gold belt, Nino Romero has been training hard for the past several weeks in the Gym of the Guadalajara University and has said he wants to overturn the February 27 decision which helped Mayol retain his title.

The Mexican said “I am in the final phase of my training and we will do something more in Queretaro, but we are very good, maybe at 90%.”

The challenger also downplayed rumors about his break with manager Miguel Angel Rangel saying everything is OK with him and he is working with no changes at all.

“There are always rumors about problems, but there are always easy solutions with him. We have been working together since always and nothing has changed” said Nino Romero in a news report sent to us by the WBC.

Right now, according to the report, Nino Romero only wants to think about the upcoming fight because he knows it may be his last chance for a world championship.

He also believes that a knockout “will be very important while a decision could not be so good.”

Thinking that pound-for-pound king and “Fighter of the Decade” Manny Pacquiao who received a hero’s welcome during a brief vacation with his family in Nayarit as the guest of well-known promoter Fernando Beltran would be at the fight, Omar Nino said “I want to win by KO, because if this is a decision fight I will not win. Manny Pacuqiao will be there and it  will be harder, That is why the options are to win or to win, to die on the ring.

The former world champion and mandatory challenger conceded that  “right now I am a little tired, but everything is taking  good shape and I am working hard. My mind is great right now, but I know I can give more and this is my last opportunity of becoming a World Champion. I want that WBC belt at my side the rest of my life.