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Two-weight champion Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero is one of the more eccentric personalities in contemporary boxing, but a welcome one. Now ‘retired,’ Romero capped off a relatively short career with two impressive wins against Manuel James and Ryan Garcia.

Fighters Weekly had the opportunity to clarify those retirement plans with Romero himself, who spoke on behalf of ToonieBet. What we garnered is that Romero was somewhat disgruntled.

‘I’m the most avoided fighter,’ Romero admits, frustrated in retirement

Romero spoke with Fighters Weekly’s Shaun Brown, who probed the former lightweight fighter on some glaringly obvious matters, like, ‘Have you retired, Rolly, or not?

“Technically, I have retired now,” Romero responded.

So, what are your future plans, then?

“I got ducked by everybody. I’m the only champion in history that’s gotten ducked for what? Five mega fights?” Romero said. “It’s unheard of — but I’m a bum with a belt and a high ticket payday. So, something’s [not] adding up. Is something adding up to you or no?

“People didn’t want to fight me [before I was champ] anyway,” Romero admitted. “They just had no choice. Now it’s like everyone knows like this is my actual weight class — the last thing I [they] wanna do is go fight some crazy dude who … is really hard and is unpredictable. And on top of that, the whole lead-up you’re being roasted the whole time.”

Super fights with Benn, Garcia, and Haney are of no interest to Romero

So what happens now, Rolly?

“… I am a retired investor on a pension,” He emphasized. He doubled down on the question of whether a potential superfight with Conor Benn, Ryan Garcia, or Devin Haney would draw him out. “I am a retired investor on a pension,” He reaffirmed.

What happens to the belt now?

“I don’t know,” He remarked. “I’ve got three of them. Might as well… those things are fine to have… I don’t know. I can’t really say. You never know what’s going to happen in this world.”

Rolly Romero opens up on depression and rebuilding himself through faith

So, how have these last 12 months been for you inside and outside the ring?

“It was the most depressing 12 months I’ve ever had in my life,” Romero said. “. . . I found Christ [it was] difficult. You think that the sun always shines on TV, right? Everything looks good and — it happened literally the day after I fought Ryan, And that’s where it started.

“And now I’m out. God delivered me from my depression. . . . It was the hardest thing I’ve ever went through in my life. . . . I had to die on my old self. And that alone was difficult because, you know, I love myself.”

View the full interview on the Fighters Weekly YouTube channel.

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