“I told you they just lie all the time,” Romero said. “They just didn’t want to fight,” Rolly told Fight Hub TV. “We put up all the money. It’s a 50/50 split. Bet on yourself.”
He also disputed complaints about financial terms, saying his team was carrying the event and giving Haney’s team room to secure its share.
By holding out for a mega payday that never arrived, Rolly managed to alienate the big names and frustrate the sanctioning bodies.
Rolly’s claim that he is being “shunned” is a classic bit of Rolly spin. In boxing, “avoid” usually means that a fighter is too dangerous for the money being offered. In Rolly’s case, it’s more than his financial claims don’t match his real pulling power.
Devin Haney is all about the “guarantee.” If Rolly couldn’t show him a massive, safe purse, Haney would never step into the ring just to split a percentage of a potentially soft gate.
A Haney fight was discussed as one of the bigger options available to Romero, but nothing materialized. With no agreement reached, Romero used the interview to complain.
“I never want to hear them call me out or bring me up again. It’s dead. It’s done,” Rolly said of hoping to fight Haney.
Rolly was just as blunt when Benn’s name came up. Asked about the British rival, he responded negatively.
“Conor Benn is a future Hall of Famer because whoever knocks him out cold is going to be in the Hall of Fame,” Rolly said.
This is the Sour Grapes fable play out in real time. For months, Rolly acted like Conor Benn was his ticket to a massive payday, especially when they chased each other at ringside at the Shakur-Teofimo fight.
Now that the grapes (the Benn fight) are out of reach because Benn chose the Regis Prograis route on the Zuffa map, Rolly suddenly decided those grapes were rotten and not worth it anyway.
Avoiding Shakhram Giyasov for a year did Rolly no favors. Giyasov isn’t a household name, so there isn’t massive money there, but he’s a high-skill, high-risk southpaw who could easily take that WBA belt. By stalling, Rolly essentially froze the division with that sanctioning body.
“I’m still the most shunned champion in boxing,” Romero said.
Activity is important for a heel character like Rolly. To be a successful villain, you have to be relevant. Sitting out since May 2025 has made fans move to more active personalities like Shakur Stevenson or even the resurgent Ryan Garcia.
Rolly is currently only a champion in name, with a belt that he seems afraid to defend against his mandatory and cannot sell to the superstars.
