By Dan Ambrose: Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero claims that he & Ryan Garcia have signed a contract to fight in April, with the winner to face Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis at the end of summer.
If Rolly is serious about facing Ryan Garcia in April, that might explain why Golden Boy Promotions boss Oscar De La Hoya gave Gervonta’s management a deadline of last Monday for them to send the contract over for the Kingry fight.
Rolly vs. Ryan Garcia would be a 50-50 fight between the two popular social media stars. While Ryan has done slightly more than Rolly in the pro ranks, he’s not beaten anyone good enough to say for certain he will win.
The two fighters sparred in the past, and Ryan reportedly couldn’t keep Rolly off him. Rolly reportedly worked Ryan over in the sparring session, getting the better of him.
Stephen Espinoza of Showtime was confused by the statement from De La Hoya, saying that maybe he’s getting “buyer’s remorse” about the deal that was agreed to. If De La Hoya has changed his mind about having Ryan fight Tank Davis and instead wants the Rolly fight, his deadline for last Monday makes sense.
“I’m fighting in April, I’m fighting Ryan Garcia, and the winner between me and him get Tank in the summer,” said Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero on social media. “Me and Ryan are going to fight, and I’m going to get the rematch with Tank in the summer. Me and Ryan fight in April.
“Me and Ryan are fighting in April, and the winner gets Gervonta Davis in the end of summer. Ryan is a great fighter. He’s like top. Y’all got this thing confused. Yeah, me and Ryan have signed the contract to fight in April,” said Rolly.
If you’re Ryan & Golden Boy, this is an excellent move to get another payday in before fighting Gervonta for the mega-bucks in the summer. However, Ryan could lose to Rolly, which would permanently wreck his plans for a cash-out against Tank Davis.
Rolly has a reported net worth of $2 million, and he could significantly add to that figure if he beats Ryan in April and faces Tank in the summer in a rematch.
Like Ryan Garcia, Rolly is an example of the new breed of fighters who don’t face anyone notable but get important fights based on their huge social media following.