Rolando “Rolly” Romero is having the last laugh and he’s not whispering it. After walking into the Ryan Garcia fight as a massive underdog, Rolly didn’t just flip the script. He shredded it. With a double left hook that sent shockwaves through the super lightweight division, he handed Garcia the second loss of his pro career and, in doing so, put a temporary lid on any talk of a Haney-Garcia rematch. And just like that, Rolando Romero’s name is crashing back into the super lightweight spotlight. But before the applause came the disrespect.

Now that the smoke has cleared, Rolly Romero’s not just basking in the win. He’s unpacking the shade, and he’s got receipts. Just yesterday, @thrillboxing dropped a clip from his interview with FightHub TV. “Rolly Romero says the fight Promo was Disrespectful & tells why the Ryan Garcia fight was the easiest fight of his career 😂😂 💥🥊,” the caption read. When asked what exactly rubbed him the wrong way, Romero didn’t hesitate. “There’s a long list of things,” he sighed.

According to him, the promotional focus was more about hyping a Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia rematch than acknowledging the fight that was actually in front of fans: Rolly vs. Ryan. And that, to Romero, felt like a slap in the face. “I mean… what are they doing?” he said with a mix of disbelief and frustration. “[They’re] promoting Devin and Ryan’s rematch over and over and over again?” Rolly wasn’t just annoyed; he was outright offended by the promotional choices, including a commercial he flew to Mexico for. “They wasted my time sending me to Mexico for three days to go do this commercial, right? And neither me or [Jose] Ramirez appeared in that commercial,” he lamented.

Adding insult to injury: “Even De la Hoya hands his hand out, saying pizza delivery in my face and Ramirez say like, ‘Bro, isn’t that your fu–ing fighter, bro?’ Like that’s so disrespect so many ways, you know?” The reporter followed up, noting, “Yeah. It’s like they were seeing it as, like, ‘Oh yeah, Ryan’s going to beat a Rolly,’ like no problem”. Obviously Rolly didn’t hold back in his response, saying bluntly, “Yeah. I ain’t no, I ain’t no fu–ing c-ck to fu–ing Devin and Ryan.” 

Even the night of the fight didn’t unfold without a few hiccups. When asked how he managed the nerves or distractions, Rolly kept it blunt: “I just hid in my room. I don’t want to know anything about anybody fight day. Yeah.” Later, when asked about the possibility of a rematch, Rolly didn’t rule it out. “Yeah, I’ll probably whoop his a– again. That was the easiest fight I’ve ever done,” he said without hesitation.

Anyway, despite feeling overlooked and disrespected in the lead-up, Rolly’s not stooping to the same level. Why, you ask?

Rolando Romero finds his purpose

Two days ago, Rolando Romero took to Instagram with a story that felt less like a fighter’s flex and more like a soul search. “It feels like the old Rolly has died and now it’s just Rolando,” he wrote. “I carried so much hatred in my heart, and I’m not even sure where it came from. God has shown me that I’m not meant to be that person anymore. I sincerely apologize to everyone.”

It’s a stark contrast from the brash, loudmouthed persona fans once knew. These days, the 29-year-old seems to be trading knockouts for introspection and giving credit where it’s due. “Through Christ, anything and everything is possible,” he added, signaling a shift that goes far beyond boxing.

Moreover, Rolly Romero has previously pointed to his 2022 loss to Gervonta “Tank” Davis as a turning point, not just in his career but in his life. That defeat might’ve taken his zero, but it gave him a new perspective. And now, instead of barking back at the world, he seems more focused on building something deeper—with a little help from above. So with this new version of Rolando Romero stepping into the spotlight, what do you make of his spiritual turn? And while we’re at it, who do you want to see the new Rolando Romero take on next?