Rolly Romero is set to defend his WBA welterweight title against Teofimo Lopez on August 22, but on Friday he made headlines discussing other potential opponents. We'd normally consider fellow champion Devin Haney one of those potential foes, but when Romero was asked about the possibility of a unification fight with the WBO champ, Rolly shut it down.

"Me and Devin are never going to fight because he is scared of me," Romero said to Fight Hub TV. "And I'm not going to waste my time. I don't want to talk about Devin Haney. He's ugly." The latter was Rolly being Rolly, but it'll be interesting to see if the two men ever meet. Romero has to take care of business against Lopez to keep the fight realistic. Let's talk boxing.

Where a Romero–Haney unification actually stands

  • Rolly Romero holds the WBA welterweight title; Devin Haney holds the WBO
  • Haney is 33-0 with 15 knockouts and has not fought since November 22, 2025
  • He won the WBO belt from Brian Norman Jr. by unanimous decision in Riyadh
  • Team Haney pursued a Romero unification earlier in 2026; it never materialized
  • The WBO then enforced Haney's mandatory against Keyshawn Davis
  • Purse bids were held July 27; Top Rank won at $8.55 million on a 75/25 split
  • Davis turned down his share and the fight has not been made
  • Romero defends against Teofimo Lopez on August 22

Haney is 33-0 and has not fought since taking the WBO belt from Brian Norman Jr. in November. Team Haney did pursue a Romero unification earlier this year, but the WBO enforced its mandatory before anything was signed. That mandatory, against Keyshawn Davis, went to purse bid in July and Davis turned the money down.

Romero-Haney would be an intriguing matchup. Haney has looked like a new man at welterweight with a bit more pop than we saw from him at smaller weight classes. That said, Romero is known for his knock-out power and Haney has had the tendency to fade late. Maybe we'll get a chance to see it, despite the way Romero dismissed the concept.

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