New weight class.
Same Rolando Romero.
Coming off the first loss of his career, he hasn’t changed one bit.
And it’s likely a central reason Romero is right back in the position he currently finds himself in.
“I wouldn’t be in this position if I wasn’t the most unique motherf–ker in boxing,” Rolando told The Post. “I really would not be in this position. Especially, [in this position] multiple times. At the end of the day, I sell.”
It’s hard to argue with him.
Romero (14-1) is moving up to the 140-pound super lightweight division and will fight Ismael Barroso (24-3-2) for the vacant WBA world title Saturday night at The Cosmopolitan in his hometown Las Vegas as the main event on Showtime’s card.
He was originally supposed to fight Alberto Puello for Puello’s WBA belt, but Puello tested positive for a performance enhancing drug and has since been declared a champion in recess while he goes through the appeals process.
And instead of then making Romero-Barroso for the interim title, the WBA has sanctioned the fight for the full WBA title.
It’s a testament to Romero’s star power, and attraction – regardless of fans’ sentiment of him.
Just 14 fights into his professional career, Romero secured a highly-lucrative bout against Gervonta Davis – who has emerged as perhaps the biggest superstar in boxing – atop a major Showtime pay-per-view last May, selling out the Barclays Center in the process.
It followed months of bad blood and barbs being traded back-and-forth between the two, something that has become a staple in Romero’s career.
He’s emerged as one of the most electric knockout artists in the sport with 12 stoppages in his 15 career fights.
And whether you like him or hate him for it, he’s likely the biggest and brashest trash-talker in boxing, with one of the largest personalities, regardless of his opponent or the circumstances.
Romero lost to Davis via a brutal sixth-round TKO and most in his position coming off a loss, especially entering a new weight class, would have to record at least a win or two before earning another title opportunity.
Not Romero. When he fights, whether they root for or against him, people pay attention.
“With the Gervonta Davis loss, I remember I went in the back room, I had watched when I had made the mistake,” Romero said. “And I acknowledged it and I realized, at that moment, that’s what I did wrong. Instantly, I know what the hell I did wrong. I accepted it. …
“I got home, I laid down for about a day, and then I was perfectly fine, like nothing happened. Literally, like nothing happened. Actually, I was happier than normal, it was the weirdest thing ever. I was happier, because yeah I had messed up that, but I realized everything else that I had accomplished up until that point.
“I was excited, I was like man, I did all these pay-per-view numbers, I sold out the Barclays Center, I did this, I did that. At the end of it, I did this s–t going in there with 14 fights. That meant a lot to me.”
True to character, Romero is steadfast that he was winning his fight against Davis until he was knocked out, dubbing it a “landslide” and claiming he just got caught with a good shot.
While Romero and Davis were trading shots up until that point and Romero was definitely going toe-to-toe with Davis, Romero was behind on two of the three judges’ scorecards at the time of the stoppage in their 135-pound lightweight bout.
He’s anxious for a rematch, as long as he gets through Barroso.
But with a catch.
“Now I wanna get that fight back,” Romero said. “This time, I wanna do it at my weight class. I wanna do it at 140 [pounds]. And the thing is, he’s a 140-pounder too, he’s had a belt here. There shouldn’t be any difficulties. He beat me, he had the belt here, so why shouldn’t the fight be over here, right?”
But first, he has to take care of Barroso and his title opportunity in what he said is his most natural weight class at this point of his career.
Then, with possession of a belt, he can worry about revenge.
“Nothing matters until May 13, that’s the only thing that matters to me right now,” Romero said. “There’s nothing else that matters to me. And everything is just gonna fall together after May 13.”
