Former WBA super lightweight champion Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero has hit a rough patch in his boxing career, losing two of his last three fights to Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz. Now, as he prepares for his upcoming bout against former WBC Youth lightweight champion Manuel Jaimes, many are viewing this fight as a crucial opportunity for Romero to stage a significant comeback. To ensure his comeback is a success, Romero is putting in the hours at the gym, working diligently to correct the mistakes that cost him in his previous fights. But the real question on everyone’s mind is: who’s in his corner this time?

This has sparked curiosity, especially since Romero made a surprising trainer switch before his bout with ‘Pitbull’ Cruz. Before ‘Rolly’ got touched and dropped by Isaac Cruz in his last fight, the Las Vegas resident had started training under the guidance of legendary Cuban coach Ismael Salas. Their partnership was being touted as a game-changer for Romero. Nonetheless, Salas, who owns the Salas Boxing Academy in Las Vegas, is a well-known name in the community.

The 67-year-old trainer has worked with the likes of Felix Savon, Guillermo Rigondeaux, and Erislandy Lara, who will feature in the undercard of Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga against Danny Garcia, just like Romero. A February 2024 report from PBC highlights Salas’s emphasis on the need for variety in Romero’s boxing strategy. He said, “Rolly has to use the lead hand but in different ways. Change the timing, change the level… it can be the jab, double jab, body shot, and so on.”

This technical flexibility was supposed to exploit Romero’s reach advantage against Isaac Cruz but seems to have fallen short. Romero’s footwork and positioning were also the focus of Salas’ training regime. Regardless, Salas appreciated Romero’s technique, noting, “My way is not to change anyone’s style. It will be the same style but improved.” He aimed to enhance Romero’s precision and muscle memory while preserving his natural explosiveness. While these things didn’t work in the last fight, they might help Romero in his next one. 

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Who was Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero’s coach before Salas?

Before ‘Rolly’ struck up a partnership with Ismael Salas, he was working with Cromwell Gordon, a.k.a. Coach Bullet. The 44-year-old played an instrumental role in Romero’s rise from an unknown fighter to a world champion. After their separation, Bullet boldly declared, “I built him from 0-0 to a world champion.” Their relationship hit a sore note when the duo split ways in January this year, with Bullet expressing his frustration with Romero’s decision. “Loyalty is everything, disloyalty is nothing,” Bullet said, emphasizing, “People get in your ear, you’re a champion now, they want to be in the corner, want to be next to you—I get it. But loyalty is everything.”

Lamenting the entire thing, Bullet explained that he had instilled in Romero all the abilities and knowledge needed to be successful in the fight business. And urged Romero’s new trainer, “Whoever the f**k they are, don’t change nothing about him because if they do, that’s to his demise.” Given Romero’s loss against Cruz, it’s unclear how training with Ismael Salas may have improved his game. Regardless, if Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero wants to continue being relevant in the sport, he needs to show it in his next performance.

Do you think Romero’s trainer change will help him? Let us know below.