“We had the whole deal done, and he wants to run off. He’s literally just clout chasing,” Romero told ESNEWS. “He clearly doesn’t want to fight me. We literally had the whole deal done. We were going to fight on May 30th at the Barclays.”
Rolly named four massive stars, whom he believes used his name for headlines without any intention of actually trading leather.
- Conor Benn: Walked away from a finalized May 30 date.
- Devin Haney: Rejected a 50/50 split and tried to “play promoter.”
- Ryan Garcia: Frequently mentioned but never followed through.
- Manny Pacquiao: One of the five “mega-fights” Rolly says pulled out.
“I’ve had five mega-fights pull out,” Romero said. “Ryan, Pacquiao, Conor, and Devin.”
The most detailed dispute beyond Benn involves Devin Haney, where Romero pointed to money as the sticking point. He said his side presented a full deal, including a 50 percent split, but accused Haney’s team of trying to control terms without committing.
“They’re just trying to use it for clout, too,” Romero said. “I’m the one that sent it. I sent the whole deal and everything. But then you want to play like you’re the promoter and stuff.”
“We gave you 50%. You could have sold it off to DAZN, but DAZN didn’t want to deal with them,” Rolly said. “It would have been a big fight, but it’s called betting on yourself. You don’t bet on yourself. I bet on myself.”
Romero made it clear he sees himself as the one pushing to make fights happen, even as negotiations continue to fall apart.
“Ryan doesn’t want to fight me,” Romero said. “Of course, every fight I’m in is a mega-fight.
Rolando is in an awkward position where he holds a title but doesn’t carry the pull of an A-side like Devin Haney or the built-in audience of Ryan Garcia.
The “bet on yourself” pitch only works when a fighter can guarantee numbers on the back end. Romero is asking opponents to take that gamble without offering the kind of draw that makes it easy to accept.
From his side, the stance is consistent. He’s offering splits, pushing for big fights, and saying yes. From the other side, the hesitation reads as Ryan Garcia, Manny Pacquiao, Conor Benn, and Devin Haney not wanting to take a fight that won’t sell.
A dangerous puncher with a belt is useful, but only if the business makes sense. Romero is trying to sell a premium fight without the customer base that usually supports it, and opponents are treating the risk as not worth taking.
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