Rolly Romero says Conor Benn pulled out after deal was done

Romero says May 30 title defense was set before Benn pursued Ryan Garcia bout

Rolando Romero says Conor Benn pulled out of an agreed title fight set for May 30 in New York. The claim comes as Benn is linked to a higher-profile bout with Ryan Garcia this summer.

Conor Benn’s route to a title shot has taken another turn after Rolando Romero claimed a fight with the British contender was already agreed before Benn walked away. Benn is being linked to Ryan Garcia for the WBA welterweight title this summer, but Romero says he was expecting to defend against him first.

Benn moved back into the welterweight picture earlier this month when he outpointed Regis Prograis in a 150-pound catchweight bout on his Zuffa Boxing debut. The win kept his name active for bigger fights, with Garcia widely viewed as the leading option.

Romero, however, says Benn had another title route in front of him.

“Conor Benn ducked me. We had the whole deal set up; we were going to fight May 30 in New York for my world title, and then he just disappeared out of nowhere.

“Conor Benn was over there, begging for the fight with me. We had the whole deal set up, by the way, but he is over there in New York trying to cause all of that commotion and other stuff. He did it for clout,” said Rolly Romero to Fight Hub TV.

Romero also questioned whether Benn’s reported Garcia fight will actually happen.

“He might be doing that with Ryan, because Ryan would knock him out cold,” said Rolly.

Benn has not publicly answered Romero’s version of events. His camp appears focused on the Garcia option, which would likely carry far more attention and a bigger purse than a Romero defense.

Conor is now the #1 contender for Garcia’s WBC belt. From a business perspective, the choice is simple: Rolly offers a belt, but Garcia offers a global pay-per-view event and an arguably more prestigious strap.

If the Ryan fight falls through, Benn has mentioned he’s “the most wanted man in America” and could circle back to champions like Rolly or even Devin Haney. For now, Rolly is left holding a belt and a grudge, while Benn eyes a summer date that could define his career

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