“Would I be in the Hall of Fame? I retire the next day. Would I be in the Hall of Fame?” Romero asked to the Inside Ring Show panelt.

Max Kellerman quickly dismissed the idea.

“Not the Hall of Fame. No,” Kellerman replied before explaining that another major victory would only begin that conversation, not end it.

Kellerman’s response reflects how Hall of Fame careers are typically judged. One or two marquee wins rarely carry enough weight on their own. Voters usually reward fighters who spend years defeating elite opposition, collecting world titles and producing memorable performances against the best available competition.

A victory over Teofimo would certainly be one of the biggest wins of Romero’s career. However, context matters. Teofimo enters the fight coming off a one-sided loss to Shakur Stevenson. Before that defeat, his biggest accomplishment at 140 pounds was beating Josh Taylor in June 2023. Taylor was no longer the unbeaten, undisputed champion who had unified the division, and many fans believed he lost to Jack Catterall before facing Teofimo.

The same applies to Romero’s victory over Ryan Garcia. Garcia’s biggest career win over Devin Haney was overturned after he tested positive for the banned substance ostarine. Romero then defeated Garcia after Ryan returned from a lengthy layoff and later admitted he rushed back before he felt fully prepared.

None of that diminishes Romero’s victories. He can only beat the opponent standing across the ring. The issue is that Hall of Fame credentials are measured by the quality of accomplishments over an entire career, not by isolated wins that come under less-than-ideal circumstances.

Beating Teofimo right now does far more for Lopez’s attempt at a comeback than it does for Rolly’s all-time standing. When a fighter defends a world title against someone who just got systematically outpointed by Shakur Stevenson, voters do not see a hall-of-fame win. Romero is essentially catching Teofimo at a low point, not fighting an undefeated monster at his absolute apex.

If Rolly actually wants to kickstart a genuine Canastota conversation, he needs to beat guys who are actively winning and holding momentum. That means taking on top-tier contenders who are on real hot streaks or unifying against other prime champions who are coming off dominant performances.

Taking on a guy coming off a lopsided loss is a safe defense, not a career-defining legacy builder.