Roy Jones Jr Says Rolando Romero Only Dangerous Early vs Devin Haney

Roy Jones Jr is not treating Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero as a complete threat to Devin Haney; he is describing a fighter who has a short window early to change a fight before the difference in skill shows.

The Hall of Famer gave that view in a recent interview this week while discussing a possible meeting between welterweight champions Rolly Romero and Devin Haney. Jones compared Romero’s style to a lesser version of Prince Naseem Hamed, pointing to awkward timing and heavy hands rather than overall ability.

“I told people the same thing when he fought Ryan,” said Roy Jones Jr. to Fight Hub TV “Rolly is a lot lesser version, a knock-off version, of Prince Naseem Hamed. If he hits you, you’ll know that you have been hit because he has got unusual punching power. It’s a watered-down version, but it isn’t as watered down as y’all think it is.”

The comparison lands as both a warning and a limit. Jones did not present Rolly as someone who can outbox Haney over a full fight. He focused on a narrow route where power and timing matter most in the opening rounds.

“If he can catch Devin early or hurt Devin, it can become a 50/50 fight,” Jones said.

That early threat is the entire case Jones makes. Past that point, the expectation is that Haney’s control, defence, and pace would take over and separate the fight. Rolly’s unpredictability gives him a chance at the start, but it does not extend across all twelve rounds.

A Rolly-Haney fight has not been finalised and remains part of the ongoing discussion around both fighters. Jones’s view adds a clear line to that talk: Romero is dangerous at the beginning, and much easier to deal with once that moment passes.