Rolando “Rolly” Romero is prepared to replace his old rival for the sake of preserving a fight date currently in peril.
The reigning WBA 147lbs titlist has no reservations about moving well up in weight to face Jake Paul on short notice. Romero offered to salvage the now-cancelled November 14 Netflix event, originally reserved for Paul to face Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
As reported by BoxingScene and other outlets, Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) pulled the plug on the show due to mounting legal troubles surrounding Davis, 30-0-1 (28 KOs). A lawsuit filed in Miami-Dade Civil Court by a Florida woman accused Davis of battery, kidnapping and three other counts of domestic violence.
A police report was also filed, though the troubled boxer had not been charged with a crime surrounding this alleged incident as this goes to publication.
Given the development, Romero, 17-2 (13 KOs) offered to move up 40-plus pounds to save the day.
“The GOAT at welterweight? I’m about to be the GOAT at cruiserweight,” Romero told his followers during an Instagram Live with his followers on Monday. “Me and Jake Paul, we’re fighting in two weeks. I think Jake Paul’s scared of me. I’m going to cruiserweight.
“Rolly’s big now anyways. Jake Paul gets knocked out cold by me.”
Despite Romero’s generous offering, the event is almost certainly destined for December. That said, MVP has yet to provide a definitive date or even a replacement opponent to face Paul, 12-1 (7 KOs). Additionally, Romero’s name was mentioned as one of several options that includes pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford, Ryan Garcia, Francis Ngannou and even Logan Paul, Jake’s older brother.
Of the list, SI’s Chris Mannix reported that Crawford is instead focused on a March return.
Garcia was ruled out by promoter Golden Boy Promotions due to the company’s exclusive contract with DAZN. Ngannou – the former UFC heavyweight champion – claimed to have been insulted by the offer and the manner in which he was asked to step in on short notice.
A brother vs. brother exhibition match – while perhaps the best-selling option – is all but a non-starter.
Crazily enough, that leaves Romero in a favorable place if he’s serious about taking the fight.
For the moment, Romero needs to resolve a WBA ruling which called for him to enter talks for an overdue mandatory title defense against Uzbekistan’s Shakhram Giyasov. The two sides have until November 13 to reach a deal and avoid a purse bid.
Romero inherited the mandatory after a May 2 win over Ryan Garcia to claim a secondary version of the WBA 147lbs title. Despite the threat of a due clash with Giyasov, Romero was hopeful of a rematch with Garcia given a clause in their fight contract.
“Ryan Garcia wasted six months of my life,” insisted Romero. “I’m really heated about that. I’m more heated about that than anything, man. You guys have no idea how heated I am about that.
“We had a rematch clause and everything. He acted like he wanted to fight me, and went and got all scared and stuff and don’t want to fight me.”
Romero was also previously in talks with former eight-division titlist Manny Pacquiao, 62-8-3 (39 KOs), who has since shifted his attention to old rival Floyd Mayweather for a potential rematch in 2026.
Between Garcia, Pacquiao and now Paul, it appears that the Las Vegas native has explored every avenue but the unresolved present-day business. That hasn’t prevented him from shifting his focus to Paul and – as he sees it – putting an end to social media influencers infiltrating this sport.
“I want everybody to know that I’m gonna slap Jake Paul across his face,” Romero promised. “First and foremost, I’m tired of this YouTube boxing stuff. I really am. I am more tired of this YouTube boxing stuff than everyone else. I will slap Jake Paul across his face.”
Ironically, Davis is now in the same position as Romero was for his own originally scheduled fight with the unbeaten southpaw. The two were originally due to meet in December 2021, only for Romero to be pulled from the Showtime Pay-Per-View event when Romero was accused of sexually assaulting a Las Vegas woman and former acquaintance in 2019.
Authorities investigated the matter before concluding that the case lacked merit. The investigation, however, lasted just long enough for Romero to lose out on the date as he was replaced by Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz. Davis defeated Cruz via 12-round decision.
Romero would receive his shot at Davis in May 2022, but was knocked out in the sixth round of their WBA 135lbs title fight in Brooklyn, New York.
Davis found himself in the hot seat ahead of a scheduled January 2023 title defense against Hector Garcia. The Baltimore, Maryland native was arrested less than two weeks out from the event, on a domestic violence charge in Parkland, Florida. The charges were subsequently dropped, however, when the alleged victim refused to cooperate with the investigation.
Davis was permitted to proceed with the Showtime PPV event and stopped Garcia in the ninth round of their title fight in Washington, D.C.
Romero rebounded from his defeat to Davis with a controversial stoppage victory over Ismael Barroso in May 2023. The win netted Romero the WBA 140lbs title, though he lost the belt to Cruz in a lopsided stoppage defeat last March 30 in Las Vegas.
Two wins have followed, including the abovementioned victory over Ryan Garcia, after which he was upgraded to full WBA 147lbs titlist.
