Mr. Verzace Podcast
Rick 'Verzace' Reeno, CEO of The Ring Magazine, sits down with boxing's industry experts, rising prospects, and brightest stars.
Mr. Verzace Podcast
Rolly Romero Like You've Never Seen Him Before | Mr. Verzace Podcast | Ep. 15
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Rolly Romero joins the latest edition of Mr. Verzace Podcast. Romero opens up about his upbringing, how he's changed, and potential fights in 2026.
Welcome back to the Mr. Versace Podcast. I'm your host, Mr. Versace himself, Rick Reno, and joining me today is one of the top welterweights in the world, WBA World Welterweight Champion, Rolando Roley Romero. Rolly, let's go back a little bit to the beginning. You grew up in a tough area, downtown Las Vegas. Um during your upbringing in the area, did that in any way help shape your mindset as you began to go into like combat competition or your mindset as far as how you act as a boxer?
SPEAKER_01Oh, no, no, no, no. I mean, if we're gonna talk about that, my mindset was shaped by my dad more than anything. Okay. Sure. I I did when I did judo, like my dad, like he'd try to make me do meds and stuff as a kid, right? And if I didn't do it, bro, I I couldn't go outside. I couldn't go get my dad wouldn't my dad would spoil me endlessly if I did it. But I mean, I never did my sister, always did everything. I did I never did anything. And when I did judo, right, I'd lose tournaments and shoot, my dad would beat me when I lost tournaments. My dad was really, really hard on me. So I mean that made me hyper competitive on its own.
SPEAKER_00And speaking of that, you know, you were a high-level judo competitor. Your sister as well. She was on the national level as a on a championship level, I believe.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, she's a seven-time national champion. I could I could count on one hand the amount of time she lost. Yeah, she was uh she was really great at what she did.
SPEAKER_00By going into that type of competition, you know, winning, losing, training, did that kind of put the building blocks for when you went to boxing?
SPEAKER_01No, I've always been competitive. If I do something, I'm gonna try to be the best at it. If now I'm wasting my time, right? Yeah, that's why I don't put my energy into so many different things where it's like I put into what what I want to be best at, whether it's, you know, whether it was judo or boxing or anything else that may be going on in my life.
SPEAKER_00And what made you transition ultimately to boxing? Like when did that decision finally come to you? Uh I'm done with judo, this is what I want to do now.
SPEAKER_01Well, like I said, my dad was a boxer, so he he tried to force me to do it as a kid, and I never did it. And like I said, he was really hard on me. And um a judo place that opened up right in front of where me and my mother and my sister were living at the time, and my mom took me over there. And I'd uh so we started in and my dad got heavily involved, you know, like how a supportive father does, and he was really hard on me. But what happened was um I was 16 years old. Yeah, and uh we were watching the Olympics uh in 2012 for for judo and boxing camp. My dad's like all like all excited, all this stuff around. I'm like, why are you excited about these guys? These guys don't even hit each other. These guys my dad started like being like, Oh, you're a coward, you want to do this? He didn't use those words, those are words, right? But I'm like, he's like, You're a coward, you want to do this? I'm like, man, I'll beat these guys up, right? And so my dad took me to the gym the next day, and um I put on the gloves, I broke somebody's nose. The next day, he took me to the gym again, I broke somebody else's nose, right? And um, my dad's like confused, right? I'm like, because you know, I if you made me hit pads, I just hit a like boom, boom, you know, I didn't want to do it. And um, he's like, hit me, and I'm like, I ain't gonna hit you, you're gonna hit me. He's like, no, hit me as hard as you can. I'm like, no. He's like, no, for real, do it. I hit him, boom, and then my dad's like was impressed because of how hard I hit. And um other Walmart fan this last tournament in December, and um, and I did that last tournament in judo, and then I started boxing in December of 2012.
SPEAKER_00And a couple years later, I know you caught the eye of Floyd Mayweather Jr. He saw you sparring, tuning a couple of guys up. Was that at the uh Mayweather Boxing Club? That's that's back when they used to have those doghouse sessions where guys would just get picked out and go in there and guys would crowd the ring.
SPEAKER_01I I ain't even gonna lie. That that time was like it was life or death. It was life or death. But um, I mean, if all I had were if all I had was my power and um my I don't want to say I don't I don't want to say uh I'm gonna say anyways, right? My balls, right? Um if that's all I had then that's all that that's all was needed, you know. At that point where you just gotta outdog whether you're hurt or not, or any of that stuff, you gotta just keep throwing and throwing. And it's the same thing in a boxing fight. Yeah. I mean, I fight to the death in a boxing fight every single time, no matter what. Ain't nobody see me quit or any of that. I swing, I swing, I don't stop. So that's how it is. You can't just give up just because things get hard.
SPEAKER_00Were there any like seasoned guys that they threw you in with uh back then that you remember that you know Floyd saw you fighting with and said, you know, this kid's got something?
SPEAKER_01I don't want to throw no names. You don't want to throw those names. I don't want to throw those names, you know. I'm cool with all of them, honestly. We all came up together.
SPEAKER_00When did the moment come when Floyd came to you and finally said, you know, I I think you've got something. I came to Floyd. Oh, you came to him.
SPEAKER_01I was like, he was there, he was all exact. I'm like, champ, sign me. He's like, oh, works. I'm like, champ, sign me. He gave me his number, and next day I was signed. That was on August 20th of 20, of 2016. So how come I only had 35 amateur fights. Going into the pros. Yeah, I would only uh I got signed. I might be the fastest uh person ever to get signed to a major promoter. Because I started boxing in December of 2012. I got signed in August of 2020 so what is that three and a half years?
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01About three and a half, no, no, no, no. Yeah, three and a half about three and a half years because it was about 2013 now.
SPEAKER_00So how's your relationship with Floyd now in the present? That's good. Yeah. What do you think about uh he's he's starting to get a little active himself? Looks like he's got uh fighting Greece lined up, he's got Mike Tyson lined up, he's taking an actual sanction fight against Pacquiao in the rematch on Netflix. I mean, this has been long awaited, no? They've been waiting for this, no? I don't know. Last time, last time I heard Pacquiao's name, your name was in the mix.
SPEAKER_01I uh I know, uh but uh yeah, Pacquiao uh they kind of just blew that one in. This is long they they had already blew it before Floyd was even in the picture, so it was already dead before Floyd came in the picture.
SPEAKER_00Is that part of the reason why because the last time we saw you, you got a really huge win, one of the biggest wins of last year, big upset, get a world title. Everyone expected to see you back at least before the end of the year. Was the discussions for Pacquiao would kind of delay things because you kind of well the thing is me and Ryan had automatic rematch clause.
SPEAKER_01Okay, but the original deal was he was supposed to rematch Devin and then rematch me. Right? So, but the thing is for some reason, I don't know what happened, but Devin and Ryan didn't end up rematching, right? That's not my concern or my problem, right? But so me and Ryan had a rematch, we had the whole deal set up and he just decided not to take it. So at the time, Pacquiao and Barrio's were fine, so I was like, okay, well I mean I'll just fight whoever wins that, right? And it was a draw. So it was like, okay, now you know you get Pacquiao calling me out, and then so we thought that that was gonna be a done deal, and then you know, things get a little complicated, and then you know, Ryan and Barrios end up getting the fight, and so it was like that. But you know, I'm so happy I didn't fight in that time because I wasn't right, and I needed the time, I needed the time to focus on myself.
SPEAKER_00You were ringside for Ryan's fight with Barrios, you know. After you beat Ryan, a lot of people said maybe Ryan's done, he's not there anymore, but he looked far from done against Barrios.
SPEAKER_01I mean, he I mean, it's just the opponent he fought, though. I got his number down. We could fight a million times, I beat him a million times.
SPEAKER_00Does that set the stage for a potential rematch? Now that he's got a world title, you got a title.
SPEAKER_01Look, what we what me and Ryan did at the end of it was history. With, you know, and I called this years ago when uh when we were both at 135, they were like, are you Ryan gonna fight? I'm like, nah, we ain't gonna fight today. He was like, what about 140? They were like, what about 140? I'm like, man, that's a no-name division. I was like, me and Ryan are gonna fight a well twins, gonna be one of the biggest fights in boxing history. Look at this, we shut down Times Square, right? Yeah. That's never gonna be done again. I I don't think that'll ever be done again. And not any I don't know if it'll be done in my lifetime. That's what I'm saying, right? And um I was blessed because I knew that that was gonna I I knew that that was gonna happen years ago. I knew we weren't gonna fight those I knew we were gonna fight at Waterway. And look at this, right? I know the rematch between me and him would be a lot bigger. Because I just know it's gonna be a lot bigger.
SPEAKER_00I mean, you're a guy, even though you've been out, you've got seems like a ton of options on the table. I mean, you could go to Ryan route. You got Connor Ben who seems to want a PCU.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, Ryan Ducked, Connor Ducked, uh, Pacquiao Ducked, another unnamed fighter.
SPEAKER_00I'm not gonna bring up duct. So, yeah. Well, guy, one guy you mentioned earlier who says he's chomping at the bit to fight you, is WBO champion Devin Haney. He claims that he thinks this fight will happen. From your side, do you think the fight will happen?
SPEAKER_01I mean, we sent him a contract a week ago. We uh, you know, he still hasn't signed it. You know, Debo Dev. Everyone is scared of, but I mean, shoot. It ain't no fun Rolly got the gun. Ain't no fun, you know. It's like, man, if you're really that adamant on making the fight, and he said we sent a good deal, we sent a great offer, and he still has yet to sign it. So they still thinking about some stuff. Who knows? Not my problem anymore. I'd already I'd already taken the initiative. And do I believe that there is hope that the fight will happen? I do believe so. But in boxing, you never know. In boxing, this is how boxing works. Everyone calls each other out and nothing happens. Me, I don't call nobody out or any of that stuff because what for? Why am I gonna give people free promotion if they're not gonna even fight me, right? And then who gets blamed when fights don't get made? Me. Every single time. Everyone will go say, oh, and the only person that that gets blamed all the time is me. But I fought everybody. I mean, I shouldn't be where I'm at with 19 fights, right? Yeah. Okay. But regardless, right? I was saying, right? With boxing, everyone calls each other out, nothing happens. Okay, now you get people actually sign a contract. You think something's gonna happen. Somebody pulls out, they get injured, something, right? They get scared, they have a panic attack the day before the fight. You get to the wins. Now you really think the fight's gonna happen. Okay, and guess what? Somebody pulls out the day of the fight. I mean, it happened the other day, no? Yeah. Okay, so that's what I'm saying. You never know what's gonna happen in boxing until you get in the ring, right? And even when you get in the ring, look at look what happened with uh that dude that fire fair job, he just walks out the ring. Like I said, you never know what happens in boxing. Just sit down and be patient and enjoy the show, because it's not gonna be it's not gonna be forever.
SPEAKER_00Now, you're pretty vocal about who you respect and who you don't respect in the game. Where does Haney rate on, I guess, the roley the roly ranking system on you know as far as a skilled fighter or a guy you respect on what he does, it does it depend on if he signs the contract for the fight.
SPEAKER_01Haney on Twitter, there's no respect. Haney in person, he doesn't speak, so I mean he's just a ch he's he's a he's just a he's just a chill kid. Devin Haney is like a rock. Devin Haney, he just he's right there. You can place the rock right there. He doesn't do anything, he doesn't say anything, he just there. You can't like him, you don't hate him, but you don't like him. He's just there, you know. Now, Devin Haney on Twitter, you know, because he's a keyboard warrior, he thinks he's a big tough guy, so on on the internet, but then in person, he's just the most quiet person I've ever hurt seen in my life.
SPEAKER_00Uh speaking of that, like you mentioned earlier, where you've gotten to at this level of the sport, what do you think that's different about you on what you know and other guys don't know as far as selling a fight, marketing yourself?
SPEAKER_01You you want to sell a fight? Don't talk about boxing. That's the number one way to destroy a fight. Talk about boxing. The only way that you can sell fights by talking about, you know, you see a push or a shove, or people just, you know, but really honestly talking about oh, this guy's prediction, but nobody cares about this guy's prediction for this fight or that fight, man. Talk about other stuff. Create a brand, talk about things, talk about Pokemon cards or talk about investments or ideologies or whatever goes on that isn't boxing. Because boxing only appears the uh appeals to a boxing fan base. How do you grow the sport? You bring it to people that don't watch boxing because people that watch boxing, they don't watch the sport. They watch the sport, but they don't support the sport. You understand what I mean? The casuals, the people that don't know about boxing, they're the ones. They were like, they're the ones that see this interesting interview from a from an intense perspective of a fighter, right? And they're like, you know, I want to watch the next fight. I want to see what they're like. And then that's what brings in casuals. But as far as like talking about boxing fans don't care about anything. Man, they care about, but if anything, those are the first people that hate you more than anything.
SPEAKER_00So you think there's more, uh, no matter what you do, with some people, you can't win.
SPEAKER_01But it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. You it's either whether you win or lose, they watch.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's all that matters whether they whether you win or lose. If you're a winner in their perspective, or they hate you or like you, whatever, as long as they watch. That's all that matters.
SPEAKER_00I know you said last year you needed to get some time off to get yourself right. And you've been pretty open about mental health, and fighters should, you know, if something's wrong, they should go seek help rather than bottle it in. I know Ryan's been very vocal about mental health and you know, getting help if needed from the type of therapy that any that you may have gone through, did it in any way help you as far as on the boxing side or even just on being a person side? I read the entire Bible in that time.
SPEAKER_01And on top of that, too, you know, I I did, I went, I went through, I did EMDR, so it did help me with my childhood trauma. It was the hardest, it was the most difficult moment that I've ever went through in my life. I remember I woke up every day having panic attacks. I did about September. Every day having panic attacks. Every single day I couldn't eat. For four or five days, I couldn't eat. I'd break down four or five times a day crying. I'd go and run in the shower and I just cried because I didn't want people to see my tears if I went outside. It was the hardest thing because I had to relive every traumatic event I've ever gone through in my life. All the good I've done all the all the bad that's happened to me, all the bad I've done, everything. I had to relive it. It was at the point where it's like I truly was gonna end it all. And I heard Christ's voice and he he stayed with me. I would heard his voice more clearly throughout the whole throughout that that whole process. It comes down, it was January 11th. He that's when I truly gave my whole life and soul to him. I'll go into that in another interview. And he really he took out the thorn that was in my flesh and I've been good ever since.
SPEAKER_00So after that happened, too, has it made you just see everything in life more clearly with more open eyes?
SPEAKER_01It changed my perspective on everything. You know when I gr the way I grew up, and I'm not blaming this on my parents for any of that stuff, but you know, with me, right, I I heard God's audible voice when I was twenty-one years old on July 31st of 2017. But I didn't follow Christ then. I didn't follow God and I I fell. My arrogance and my my arrogance and my pride then kept holding me back from being because god doesn't always bless me. There's no way there's no way I'd be where I'm at today if he didn't. But my arrogance and my pride of me thinking I could do this on my own is what kept pulling me back and deeper and deeper and I kept trying to do things I shouldn't have done. So it's it's complex, but it truly he did remove the thorn in my flesh.
SPEAKER_00So so I guess in one sense it'd show to you that you're not by yourself or on your own in all this. You have someone behind you and uh at your side.
SPEAKER_01No I would lie if I told you that everything I've done in my life I did on my own. Everything I've tried to do on my own has shattered. All the money I try to make on my own I couldn't I I I can't even tell you where it is. All the you know me everything, relationships I try to fix all my I couldn't anything anything I could try I could say, boxing is a great is a great example. Man, I could go on for days talking about where I was spiritually and everything I've done everything that happened to me in my career and I know for a fact that I could not do it alone. So I'm blessed. He's been he's been waiting for me to turn to him for a very long time, but I kept hardening my heart because I'm arrogant. No. I got things straight. I love Christ with all my heart and he loves me with all his heart. His love is uncomparable to anything in this world. And I've been lucky and blessed that was one of the few that I got to hear his audible voice and not once, but multiple times throughout my life.
SPEAKER_00Now that you're becoming like closer to your faith, how does it translate, if it does in any way, in terms of your professional career? Does it conflict in any way or does it go hand in hand?
SPEAKER_01Well, you know, I mean, obviously, you know, boxing's a trash talking game, right? You know, and they're like, oh, well then you're not gonna trash talk on us, man. Paul done trash talk these guys with the with the New Testament the whole the whole for the whole entire New Testament, you know. You don't need a you you don't need a trash talk, you just need to say the facts, the truth. The truth hurts people. But me, I could trash talk by being arrogant or or or witty or in English or Spanish or with a Bible with Without saying a single word, I could trash talk anyone. It's so easy. It's all a child, it's all child's play.
SPEAKER_00In terms of your career, did there come a point? Um, like I know you said your family was heavily invested in your career. Did there come a point where even your family had said, you got it. This is this is this is not just thinking you're gonna go all the way. We think you're going all the way.
SPEAKER_01Oh, well, let's start off first with had the times that they all told me to quit. My dad told me I should quit boxing. I don't even know how many, uh, how many times, right? And um, my sister said I sucked. My mom was completely disinterested in my career. My uncle said I sucked. All my friends, everyone that went to school, me, they said I wasn't. I remember as a camera, I was like in high school, and I'm like, man, I'll get signed to Floyd one day, I'm gonna be world champion, all that stuff, right? And they'll all tell you that uh, you know, you'd see me shadow boxing in the hallways. Damn believe in me, right? The only one that truly believed in me, honestly, was my father, and he told me I should quit a million times. The only one that truly believed in me was me.
SPEAKER_00And I did it. Did you ever change their minds on it from what they said before?
SPEAKER_01Oh, I mean, dude, everyone's like, oh, Rolly Egg, man, we you know, you know, we always knew you were gonna do this and all that, you know, stuff, but I don't care, you know. It's like the thing is you see me as like I'm crazy, right? They think, you know, but the thing is the amount of foresight that I've been given in my life where I can I can see things into the future. And I know.
SPEAKER_00I think uh an odd subject to ask you about, but it's been all over social media and interviews is Clarissa Shields. And I don't know where this came from, how it started, why she's calling you out of all people. Where exactly did this come from? Because it feels like it came out of left field. You got the women's heavyweight champion calling for you.
SPEAKER_01I met Clarissa Shields October 26th, 2015. I remember I just lost um they had I shut both of his dude's eyes in uh in Memphis, Tennessee, and uh they're doing the Olympic trials for women right there. Yeah. And I yelled at the ref and they they they gave the decision to the dude, even though he couldn't fight the next day. Both of his eyes were shut. It was a complete one-sided fight, to the point where he even said I won and they didn't want to overturn the decision. He's like, well, I can't I can't even fight the next day. And he's and they're like, just give him the fight, and they didn't want to. I remember I wake up and um I wake up late and I missed the shuttle, you know, because I want to go to the venue and I missed the shuttle, right? And uh and a guy comes up to me, he's like, Oh, are you heading to the venue? I'm like, yeah, he's like, Well, we got a car. And um, I'm like, I'm like, okay, he's like, yeah, we'll give you a ride. I'm like, okay. Again, the car, Clarissa Shields goes in the car. It was her boyfriend at the time. And he's like, and she's like, Why you putting these bums in the car and all that stuff? And all, and I'm just like, huh? I'm like, bruh, and you know, she was already an Olympic gold medalist in 2012 at the time, you know, and I just sit there and I'm just like, it was weird, right? And I'm like, I'm talking to I'm on the window seat, the boyfriend's in the middle seat, right? And I'm like talking to her, he's like, Where are you from? I'm from Vegas, all that stuff, right? I'm like, one day I'm gonna get signed, then I'm gonna get signed to Floyd, you know, or you know, he's in Vegas, I'm gonna be champion with it, and she keeps calling me and saying, I'm gonna be a bum, I'm I'm gonna bum out I wasn't gonna do anything. I get uh uh, you know, whatever. I felt weird, I got the car and I'm like, that was crazy, that was insane. I was like, I I I couldn't uh I I didn't understand why, you know. It c it comes up, I I see her again on on January 19th of 2019 at a boxing fight. It was two days before Pacquiao Broner. And she comes up to me and she introduces her, oh I'm Clarissa, I'm you're rolling, I heard a lot about you and all that stuff, and I was like, Clarissa, we met before. She's like, Really where? I'm like, in Memphis. October 26th of 2015. You gave me a ride. And her heart dropped. She walked away. So I I don't know why specifically with me. I I think of course she is the greatest fighter of all time, the greatest w female fighter of all time. There's no ifs, ands, buts or questions about that. But I I I don't know why she always targets me.
SPEAKER_00Like the the the anything, did you two run into each other?
SPEAKER_01Anything that she that these all these years later, it's those were those those were the first two interactions. I remember the exact dates and everything because well I remember everything that has happened to me in my life.
SPEAKER_00Because I mean, I know you're not the first, because a couple years back I know her and Keith Thurman had words flying back and forth.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I never understood that one either. But it's still at the end of it, I don't care. Me and her will never be in the ring. I do not hit women. She's great at she's great, but there's male and females, and it's divided for for a reason.
SPEAKER_00I mean, in a way, it's created headlines for you. Mark, I mean, no one expects you and her to fight. So, I mean, it's not like anyone out there is calling for a Role Clarissa Shields fight. It just, I know it came out of left field for a lot of us on the sidelines. We were like, you know, probably she'd call out Michaela, she could call out Katie Taylor. We're like, why is she calling out Roley?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm not sure. I know, but she also knows it's never gonna happen. Aside from that, too, she thanked me because I knocked out the dude that had knocked her out in sparring. I knocked him out in my 11th fight. And then I brought I brought up the I brought up the story when I first met her and she got defensive.
SPEAKER_00Has she ever tried to apologize over the first meeting or explain?
SPEAKER_01She never apologized for it specifically. But I got so much I I'm very forgiving person. I've already forgiven her long ago. Okay. I forgive anyone or anything. I've been like that since I was a kid. My parents think I'm stupid because somebody will do something dirty to me and I just forgive them right away. I don't I don't hold resentment towards anything in my heart, you know. I I've always been that way. My mother my mother will say it.
SPEAKER_00If you um saw a kid, and maybe there's a kid out there in downtown Vegas who also has certain aspirations to get out of the area, go into boxing, what words of advice would you give to him?
SPEAKER_01Follow God. He will guide you to wherever you need to be. I try to run away from my destiny for so many years. My dad my dad was a boxer. I was supposed to box as a kid. I ran away from my destiny and I ended up finding it anyways much later. And through boxing, I'm able to completely serve Christ in reality because my voice can change millions of souls. And that's beautiful. I'm exactly where I need to be right now. So for a kid, chase your dreams and don't stop and find God, and God will guide you to where you need to be. Because God will give you so much fruit you'll never be you'll never go hungry again.
SPEAKER_00We're still early into the year. It's only March. Um if you had your way to map out until the end of the year, 2026, how would Roley map it out as far as activity, as far as fights? You know, you had one last year, I'm sure you want to be far more active this year. How would you see it if you could put pen to paper?
SPEAKER_01I don't think that far ahead.
SPEAKER_00You just take it fight by fight?
SPEAKER_01May 30th, Rolando Romero versus Devin Haney. A unification of the WBA and the WBO belt. And that's all I look forward to. I don't care about anything else right now.
SPEAKER_00And from what you're saying, you've done your end, you've signed. You're just waiting for him to do his end.
SPEAKER_01Everything's already done.
SPEAKER_00Well, that's a wrap for the latest episode of the Mr. Versace Podcast. I want to give a big thanks to Rolly for joining us today. And until next time, stay sharp.