More than titles, winning streaks, and dominance, fighting style is what defines a boxer. Combat fans love a fearless warrior who dives in headfirst against any challenge. On the other hand, a defensive fighter, who can never get hit and dodges everything, often bores the crowd. That is exactly what happened in May, when His Excellency sort of banned every “Tom and Jerry” fight from his card. The decision came after the underwhelming Fatal Fury PPV for Riyadh Season, which included the likes of Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, Teofimo Lopez, and Rolando Rolly Romero.

Despite the firepower on display, it became one of the most passive cards, leaving HE Alalshikh frustrated. So, he passed the decree, requiring all fighters to adapt their approach or risk jeopardizing their future with Riyadh Season. However, reshaping one’s style is no simple task. These techniques are deeply ingrained from childhood, and a single tweet can’t just rewrite years of training. That is exactly what Rolly Romero pointed out in a recent conversation with Boxing King, while sneakily targeting Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney.

Rolly Romero reveals the biggest flaw in His Excellency’s vision

The conversation happened during the IBA Pro 7 Champions, where the interviewer asked Romero about His Excellency’s decree. Given the fact that the 29-year-old was on the Fatal Fury card, which led to all the controversy, the question made sense. The newly crowned WBA welterweight champion immediately agreed with Alalshikh’s vision. “Let me tell you like this. Yeah, he could say that he wants his fighters to exchange more, that’s what I would like, that everyone would like, right?” he said.

However, according to the Las Vegas native, there is a major flaw in the GEA chairman’s plan. The Las Vegas native knows that a boxer can’t change his fighting style overnight. So, rather than His Excellency forcing big names to adapt, he should just stop booking such fights. “But the thing is, you want fighters to exchange more….so stop endorsing fighters that don’t exchange. Common sense on that one, no?” he concluded. While he didn’t name anyone explicitly, it looks like a direct shot at Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney, who in the past few weeks have been heavily criticized for their defensive approach.

The 17-2 boxer believes the fix is straightforward: prioritize thrilling matchups over chasing marquee names. His Excellency can push fighters to change their styles all he wants, but pairing two cautious boxers like Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney in the ring won’t spark excitement. That said, ‘Sugar’ recently turned heads with a dazzling display against William Zepeda, shaking off his reputation as a dull fighter. Now brimming with confidence, he even saw the funny side of the ‘Tom and Jerry’ matches.

Shakur Stevenson mocks Lani Daniels’ weird performance

Earlier this week, Claressa Shields made history by defending her undisputed heavyweight title against Lani Daniels. And while it was a sensational performance, it was Daniels’ strategy that caught everyone’s attention. The challenger adopted an intense hit-and-run strategy and, in earlier rounds, rarely stayed in one place for more than a moment. The boxing community had a good laugh watching the fight live, including Shakur Stevenson, who didn’t miss this chance.

Reacting to the fight, the Newark native took to his ‘X’ and wrote, “What in the tom and Jerry,” in utter disbelief. ‘The Dream’ quickly buried their rivalry for a moment and joined hands with the WBC lightweight champion to get his payback. He retweeted Stevenson’s post, responding with a simple “😂” to show agreement.

People are still angry at the two of them following His Excellency’s comment. But they have figured out how to deal with the heat instead of getting angry. And since Shakur Stevenson came back so strong, it might be the best plan. We shall soon find out if this new plan works or if Rolly Romero is right. What do you think?