---
title: "Roy Jones Jr brands Rolando Romero a ‘knock-off version’ of Prince Naseem Hamed ahead of possible Devin Haney fight"
canonical: "https://boxing-social.com/news/roy-jones-jr-romero-naseem-hamed-knockoff/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Ryan Fletcher"
section: "News"
published: "2026-03-21T20:45:04Z"
modified: "2026-03-21T21:03:08Z"
---

# Roy Jones Jr brands Rolando Romero a ‘knock-off version’ of Prince Naseem Hamed ahead of possible Devin Haney fight

[Roy Jones Jr](https://boxing-social.com/roy-jones-jr-boxing-stats-career-highlights/), the former four-weight world [boxing](https://boxing-social.com/news/) champion and Hall of Famer, has branded WBA champion Rolando Romero a “knock-off version” of [Prince Naseem](https://boxing-social.com/news/naseem-hamed-number-one-heavyweight/) Hamed while weighing up how dangerous Romero could be if he lands early in a potential fight with [Devin Haney](https://boxing-social.com/news/devin-haney-signs-matchroom-boxing-usa/).

Speaking to Fight Hub TV, in comments reported by Boxing News, Jones said the comparison was about Romero’s unusual timing and one-punch threat, not his résumé.

“I told people the same thing when he fought Ryan, I told guys that you got to look at it like this, Rolly is a lot lesser version, a knock-off version, of Prince Naseem Hamed,” Jones said.

“If he hits you, you’ll know that you have been hit because he has got unusual punching power. It’s a watered down version \[of Hamed\] but it isn’t as watered down as y’all think it is.”

## The Haney angle

Jones’s remarks came while he was assessing whether Romero could make a Haney fight competitive. His answer was conditional: Romero’s best chance depends on catching the former undisputed lightweight champion cold.

“If he can catch Devin early or hurt Devin, it can become a 50/50 fight,” Jones said.

Jones was not predicting an upset, but pointed out that Romero’s awkwardness and power create a narrow but real window of danger, the same kind of window Hamed used to exploit throughout his career at featherweight.

## Why Hamed remains the reference point

Prince Naseem Hamed, the former WBO featherweight champion, retired in 2002 but remains boxing’s go-to comparison whenever a current fighter mixes showmanship with unorthodox movement and concussive power. A [Yahoo Sports feature](https://sports.yahoo.com/boxing/article/ben-whittaker-and-the-curse-of-boxings-greatest-showmen-benjamin-gavazi-prince-naseem-hamed-164846755.html) described Hamed as one of the sport’s “greatest showmen,” crediting him with making the featherweight division must-see television through a blend of somersaults, taunting, and genuine dominance.

Hamed himself has been back in the public conversation recently. In a [January 2026 interview with Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/boxing/news/12040/13492364/prince-naseem-hamed-reveals-regrets-about-rift-with-trainer-brendan-ingle-as-film-giant-is-released-in-uk), he reflected on his career and his relationship with trainer Brendan Ingle, coinciding with the UK release of the film *Giant*.

Hamed is not just a name from the past; he is an active cultural reference in boxing. When Jones invokes him, the audience knows exactly what he means, and exactly what Romero falls short of.

## Compliment and insult in one shot

Jones is dismissing Romero’s overall quality by calling him a reduced copy of the original while warning that Romero’s power is real enough to change a fight’s complexion if a technically superior opponent like Haney takes him lightly.

We also reported the same comments, corroborating the Fight Hub TV interview and placing the quote squarely in the context of a Romero-Haney matchup that remains a talking point rather than a confirmed booking.

Whether that fight materialises, Jones’s comparison has added a new layer to Romero’s public profile: a fighter who is easy to dismiss on paper but carries enough odd-angle danger to keep better opponents honest, at least for the early rounds.