Bill Haney Targets May 30 For Devin Haney-Rolando Romero Fight

“Just got off the phone with Louie DeCuba,” wrote Bill Haney. “The ball is back in your court. May 30th. Deebo is coming.”

The message points to May 30 as the proposed date for a welterweight unification bout between Devin Haney and Rolando Romero. Brooklyn’s Barclays Center has been mentioned as a possible site.

The timing puts Romero in a difficult position because the World Boxing Association is expected to order a mandatory defense against undefeated contender Shakhram Giyasov. Giyasov built his position through a long amateur career and has continued that success since turning professional, developing a reputation for discipline and consistent pressure in the ring.

Mandatory title defenses rarely bring in the same revenue as voluntary fights between promoters. A fight with Haney would likely create a bigger gate and stronger financial backing than a defense against Giyasov, whose reputation has grown through results rather than mainstream attention.

Giyasov is also a real competitive threat. His technical discipline and consistent pressure have made him one of the most respected contenders at welterweight, and he has the kind of style that can trouble a champion over twelve rounds. If Rolly were to lose that mandatory defense, the title would disappear, and the negotiating power that comes with it would disappear, which would make the bigger fights currently available that much harder to secure.

Romero last came out on top in May 2025 against Ryan Garcia at a Riyadh Season event in New York, an appearance that produced one of the biggest purses of his career. Holding a championship belt has helped keep him associated with similar opportunities since then.

Haney’s message now places a visible timeline on the negotiations and signals publicly that his side believes the proposal is already on the table. Romero’s team must now decide whether to pursue the unification bout or prepare for the mandatory challenge that could arrive soon.