Boxing
Devin Haney Claims Rolando Romero Fight Failed After Over $6 Million
Haney said the offer required him to wait until he had covered approximately $6 million in expenses before earning anything, after which there was a 50-50 split with Romero. He portrayed the terms as inconsistent with his position, noting that Romero had never made $2 million for a single fight.
“They came to me with a list of expenses of 6 million and after splitting the 6 million I make my first dollar,” Haney said in X. “And on top of that, I split 50% with Rolando, who has never made 2 million in one fight!”
The clarification shifts the focus from the will to fight to the structure of the transaction. The proposed fight was scheduled for May 30 and was billed as a significant welterweight bout, but the terms appear to have been in line with a model in which fighters are paid from residual earnings after costs are covered, rather than from guaranteed cash.
If you look at it through Haney’s lens, it’s a refusal to be the only gambler. Haney is basically saying, “I’m a star, but I take all the financial risk while Rolly gets 50% of the benefits.”
In boxing, a “markdown” move is often a polite way of saying “no,” but in this case, the detailed terms that Haney leaked as he waited to settle $6 million in costs before making a dime suggest a deal that was objectively unfavorable to a fighter of his stature.
The revenue-driven model increases profits if the event is successful, but also transfers financial risk to competitors if it fails. His comments suggest he was not prepared to take such a risk on equal terms.
The fight is over on this date, so both sides must look for alternative options. Haney made his position clear: He didn’t think the numbers reflected his side of the equation.
Rolly’s victory over Ryan Garcia last May in Times Square changed his internal math. This victory gave him the advantage of overcoming one of the biggest commercial draws in sports.
Romero has always had a larger-than-life personality, but beating Ryan reinforced his belief that he was now the A-team’s attraction.
By demanding an equal split and a high-risk structure, Rolly is behaving like a man who believes he is the draw. Meanwhile, Haney is quick to point out that Rolly has never moved a needle on his own in the past.
Nelson didn’t hesitate when asked about his comments. He said Hamed was “delusional” and said the criticism only confirmed how far their relationship had fallen apart.
“I thought this kid was delusional,” Nelson told Sport Boxing. “After Giant I thought this kid hadn’t changed, and when I saw the show I thought you’ve definitely gotten worse.”
Nelson said he recently ignored two messages from Hamed on WhatsApp and is not interested in renewing the friendship.
“I turned him off. I don’t associate with him,” Nelson said. “If you look like an idiot, you feed him.”
The former cruiserweight champion made it clear that while he still respects Hamed’s achievements in the ring, he no longer respects him as a person.
“Do I admire what he’s accomplished? A lot,” Nelson said. “But as a person, I lost complete and utter respect for him.”
Much of Nelson’s anger appears to have to do with Hamed’s criticism of overdue coach Brendan Ingle, to whom both players attribute their careers. Nelson said he couldn’t accept the way Hamed spoke about a man he believed gave everything to the gym.
The public feud has escalated into one of the ugliest old-fashioned feuds in British boxing, with two former world champions now trading personal shots instead of memories.
It’s challenging to watch because these two are icons of the golden age of English in Sheffield. When you see former stablemates exchanging shots this overdue in life, you usually get the impression that there’s a lot of unhealed history behind them.
Naz’s “snake” comment clearly hit a nerve, but Nelson’s reaction suggests his real problem is his perceived lack of respect for Brendan Ingle. For Nelson, Brendan was the man who kept him afloat when he was struggling. The sight of Naz attacking that legacy seems to be a deal-breaker.
Nelson willingly gives Naz flowers for what he did in the ring, but closes the door on him himself. It’s a shame to see them at odds, especially since they were once the face of the same team, but Nelson seems to have found a lot of peace by simply pressing “block” and moving on.
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