Romero, 30, said the offer had already been publicly described as favorable by Haney himself, which made the delay difficult for him to understand.
“He said it himself. He said it was a great offer,” Rolly said. “I don’t know what the big delay is.”
Rolly also joked about the situation while suggesting that the hold up might just be the time it takes to review the paperwork. “You know, when you say it might take a while to read that big word in that contract,” Rolly said.
Despite the lack of a signed deal, Rolly has indicated that the fight is still being targeted for late spring if negotiations reach the finish line. “Looks like it could be done here in Las Vegas on May 30,” Rolly said.
Even though the fight was settled, the match did not generate universal excitement among fans. Rolly has done little to build momentum since upsetting Ryan Garcia last year and is still remembered by many for knockout losses to Gervonta Davis and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz. A large portion of fans would rather see Haney take on riskier fights against names like Shakur Stevenson, Jaron “Boots” Ennis or Xander Zayas instead of facing Rolly.
The situation also creates uncertainty around Rolly’s WBA welterweight title. Mandatory challenger Shakhram Giyasov has been waiting for his opportunity, and there has been no public clarification on whether the contender will be asked to step aside or if the sanctioning body intends to let the fight go ahead without enforcing the mandatory.
There is also a business incentive for Haney to continue the game. A win over Rolly would give him the WBA welterweight belt and strengthen his position in negotiations for a planned rematch with Ryan Garcia later this year, where Haney has already argued he should be treated as the A-Team.
Whether the fight moves forward now comes down to Haney signing the contract that Rolly said was on the table for the past week.
