Haney says Romero unification talks moving toward May 30 fight

Devin Haney says negotiations are ongoing for a welterweight unification fight with Rolando “Rolly” Romero that could land on May 30 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Haney said negotiations are ongoing, but the fight has not yet been finalized. He added that talks are progressing and believes the matchup is likely to come together.

“I can’t say that it’s a done deal yet,” Haney said to Ring Magazine’s InsideRingShow. “We are working on it. I think that it’s very likely that it will happen. I think it’s a good fight for boxing and a chance for me to pick up another belt and beat the guy who beat Ryan Garcia. I’ll move up higher in the pound-for-pound list and show how great I really am.”

A matchup between Haney and Rolly (17-2, 13 KOs) would unify the WBO and WBA welterweight titles and place two of the division’s belt-holders in the ring together. The 27-year-old Devin captured the WBO belt with a unanimous decision victory over Brian Norman Jr. in November, a fight that saw him score a knockdown early before controlling the action on the scorecards.

Romero holds the WBA title after scoring one of the bigger surprises in the division last year. He defeated Ryan Garcia by unanimous decision in May, dropping him en route to a unanimous decision victory while giving him problems with his unorthodox style.

Haney believes Rolly’s style explains why opponents often struggle to solve him in the ring.

“Rolly has a very awkward style, and that’s what makes it hard for guys to beat him,” Devin said. “Ryan had a lot of trouble with him just because he didn’t know how to adjust to his awkwardness.”

The WBO champion also said Romero’s approach could allow him to show more of his offense compared to some of his recent fights.

“This is a fight where I go in there, have fun, and show how good I really am,” Haney said. “With a guy like Rolly, I’ll be able to showcase a lot more of my arsenal, bring a lot more tools, and really open up on him.”

Ryan Garcia, whom Romero defeated, rebounded last month with a victory over Mario Barrios to claim the WBC welterweight title. That result added extra relevance to a possible Haney–Rollt meeting, which would give Haney a chance to collect another belt while testing himself against the man who handed Garcia one of the most notable defeats of his career.