LAS VEGAS – Rolando “Rolly” Romero might not remain in the 140-pound division too long.
Romero made weight comfortably enough for his super lightweight debut Saturday night, but the provocative contender wants pay-per-view fights moving forward. If those opportunities aren’t available in his new division, Romero claimed after he weighed in Friday afternoon for his WBA 140-pound title fight against Ismael Barroso that he’ll move up to the welterweight limit of 147 pounds.
“I mean, I can stay here [at 140 pounds],” Romero told a group of reporters. “That’s not the problem. But I wanna be at ’47. I don’t wanna be at ’40. I wanna be at ’47. The only way I’m gonna fight at ’40 is if I’m getting pay-per-view fights because those are what I find entertaining. Otherwise, I’m gonna go up to ’47 and make all those fights happen up there.”
Romero again mentioned fighting unbeaten IBF/WBA/WBC welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr.
It seems Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) will finally fight WBO 147-pound champ Terence Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) next in a much-anticipated title unification fight. Spence obviously would be heavily favored to beat Romero and would have little to gain by boxing the former WBA interim lightweight champ.
Nevertheless, Romero said, “Spence has a lotta belts. I like Spence. I’m telling you, I like that Spence fight idea. I really do like that Spence fight.”
Romero didn’t seem nearly as interested in a 140-pound title unification fight with IBF junior welterweight champ Subriel Matias (19-1, 19 KOs) if he were to beat Barroso.
“I’m thinking about pay-per-views,” Romero said. “I ain’t thinking about no belts. After this, man, I’m just thinking about pay-per-views. That’s all I want. I want pay-per-views. I wanna show everybody I’m the biggest star in boxing.”
The 28-year-old Romero considers Ryan Garcia (23-1, 19 KOs) and Isaac Cruz (24-2-1, 17 KOs) potential pay-per-view opponents in the 140-pound division, in addition to a rematch with Gervonta Davis. Mexico’s Cruz currently competes in the lightweight division, but Garcia has said he’ll move up to the 140-pound limit for his next fight.
Romero will fight for the first time Saturday night since Davis (29-0, 27 KOs) knocked him out in the sixth round last May 28 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
“Ryan, Tank, me and Cruz at 140,” Romero said. “That’s a good [fight]. We can put that on pay-per-view.”
Romero has been the “B” side of one pay-per-view event in his career, his loss to Davis.
Romero (14-1, 12 KOs), of North Las Vegas, and Venezuela’s Barroso (24-3-2, 22 KOs) will headline a “Showtime Championship Boxing” tripleheader at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. They’ll fight for the vacant WBA super lightweight title in the main event of a broadcast set to start at 9 p.m. EDT and 6 p.m. PDT.
Barroso replaced Alberto Puello as Romero’s opponent once Puello tested positive for clomiphene, a banned substance, last month. The WBA relegated Puello (21-0, 10 KOs) to its champion in recess while it awaits the result of the B sample submitted to the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association.
Puello will be stripped of his title if his B sample comes back positive for clomiphene.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.