KANSAS CITY, Kan. (August 27, 2026) – Last week’s PBC debut for undefeated rising prospect Marco “El Tiburón (The Shark)” Romero (15-0, 13 KOs), which was also his fist fight in Las Vegas as a professional, couldn’t have been scripted any better if it had been written by an Academy Awards winner.
His scheduled 8-round fight against Kahlil Mitchell (6-2, 4 KOs), contested at a 165-pound catchweight, was the third and final fight of the preliminary card on Prime Video, live from T-Mobile Arena, preceding the main card headlined by the WBA Welterweight World Championship match between defending champion Rolly Romero (17-3, 13 KOs) and new champion Teofimo Lopez (22-2, 13 KOs).
The charismatic 20-year-old Romero, fighting out of Olathe, Kansas, perfectly executed a great gameplan, fighting aggressively but carefully, as he closed the gap between him and his opponent as he moved to the side to avoid any potentially damaging punches.
Romero trapped Michell in a corner twice, punishing him with well placed shots to the body and head, before the end came at 2:33 of the opening round, in which Mitchell was on the opposite end of batting practice, leading referee Allen Huggins to wave off the action and declare a technical knockout victory for the untouched Romero.
Romero’s performance stole the show, including the PPV segment of the main card, as the most entertaining encounter of the evening, registering the lone knockout of nine fights held at T-Mobile Arena.
“I’m here to take over, I’m coming for it,” Romero described the statement he made in the ring. “I didn’t explore Las Vegas. I had been there before as an amateur. This time I was even more focused on my job to make sure there were no distractions. It all worked out. I knew I had him going right out of the gate when I hit him with a right. I had faked the first right and hit him with the second. I saw he was wobbling and I knew I had him.
“It was a storybook debut,” Romero’s manager/head trainer added. “It’s not always like that and now we’re off to bigger and better things. It’s interesting how Marco handles stress and pressure. Other fighters need mental preparation to handle emotional pressure. Once the bell rings, he turns it on and does his job. He’s always been like that and he was especially impressive fighting for his new promoter, PBC, for the first time.
“We train Marco to be triple E which is Elusive, Explosive, and Exciting. With the triple E program, Marco stays healthy and the fans get exciting boxing. We’re back in the gym working on moving his head more and doing better with his jabs and hooks. He’s young and continues to get into great shape. We’ve been working on teaching him Tyson hops: hopping to his left, then hopping to his right, to surprise his opponent. It’s subtle but exciting for the crowd because it creates action. His style is to be aggressive but always be aware defensively. He has many great fights ahead of him.”
Team Romero is hoping Marco has two more fights in 2026, one in October and the other in December, before likely moving up to scheduled ten-round fights in 2027.
“I’m super grateful to PBC – Tom Brown and Luis DeCubas Sr. and Jr. – and I couldn’t be happier,” Romero concluded. “I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
Marco is now undefeated in 15 pro fights with 13 stoppages, winning all 36 rounds on the judges’ scorecards. A 23-time U.S. national Champion, Romero had a rich amateur pedigree, backed by his remarkable 130-5 record. The handsome Mexican American boxer hasn’t lost in more than 7 years since June 28, 2019.
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