Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero might end up stealing Devin Haney away from Ryan Garcia. At least, Romero is trying to. ‘King Ry’ recently defeated Mario Barrios to win the WBC welterweight title. Since then, the Victorville native and ‘The Dream’ Haney have agreed to a potential unification rematch in 2026 over social media. But just as fans started getting excited about this fight, Rolando Romero came in like a wrecking ball.

“Ryan knows if he actually threw punches with me, he knows he’d get knocked out cold,” Romero wrote on X earlier today. 

“He likes to sue people when he loses 😂 but I’d knock him out cold. Let’s make it happen,” Romero added when asked to fight Haney instead by a fan. 

“We could’ve made this fight months ago… now you’re desperate,” Haney shot back. 

“Oh, now that I called your bluff, you want to run away? So much for the big tough guy act 😂 Sign the contract,” Romero answered. 

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

“N-–-a what contract? Rolly STFU 😂😂😭,” Haney wrote back. 

“You say ‘sign the contract’ more than anyone in boxing. 😂 Stop acting like anyone is ducking you. My manager reached out to your dad. Sign the contract,” Romero replied. 

“Rolly [doesn’t] want to fight that Mandatory… he’s going to get paid pennies & probably lose,” Haney added. “Yeah, when a real ‘Contract’ is actually sent, dumba—! F—k u & your manager! You made up all these reasons not to fight me, so now stand on it! Go find that mandatory.”

“Y’all just got the call, May 30th, New York City at the Barclays on Amazon Prime. Balls in your court, Ducky 🦆,” Romero responded. 

Rolando Romero stunned the boxing world in May last year when he defeated Ryan Garcia to capture the WBA welterweight title. The upset victory effectively scrapped plans for a Garcia–Haney rematch following their controversial first bout in New York in early 2024. Garcia had originally earned a majority decision over Devin Haney, but the result was later overturned after he tested positive for Ostarine.

Garcia ultimately opted against pursuing a rematch with Romero, leaving ‘Rolly’ in limbo with limited high-profile options. The WBA has since ordered Romero to defend his title against mandatory challenger and No. 1 contender Shakhram Giyasov. The bout was first proposed in October last year and remains unresolved.

Meanwhile, Devin Haney rebounded by defeating Brian Norman Jr. to claim the WBO welterweight title and is reportedly positioning himself for a unification showdown with Garcia. However, neither camp has issued official confirmation. As the situation drags on, Giyasov’s team has grown increasingly impatient with Romero’s inactivity.

Team Shakhram Giyasov demanded a purse bid for the Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero fight

Shakhram Giyasov’s team has had enough of the waiting game and is now pushing hard for a purse bid to secure Giyasov’s overdue WBA welterweight title shot against Romero. Giyasov, the mandatory challenger, has watched the ordered bout stall for months while exemption requests and failed negotiations delayed the process. 

“We are expecting a purse bid, as this has dragged on long enough… Romero has to follow the rules and fight his mandatory.” Giyasov’s manager, Vadim Kornilov, made the team’s stance clear while speaking to Boxing Scene.

Giyasov himself believes he has earned the opportunity and made that known with a strong performance in his last outing. 

“My last fight, I went into the ring determined to send a message,” he said. “The winner of the main event was supposed to fight me.” 

As of the time of writing, Romero vs. Giyasov hasn’t been confirmed. 

It appears Rolando Romero isn’t happy about the growing pressure to face Giyasov—a tough opponent with real risk but less upside in terms of money. And it doesn’t look like Haney wants to step in. What do you think Romero should do next?