Rolando Romero is set to welcome Ryan Garcia back to the competitive boxing circuit on May 22. While Garcia is a well-known entity among hardcore and casual boxing fans, Romero is a relatively lesser-known figure.This article sheds light on his life journey, competitive history and other relevant details.Who is Rolando Romeo?Rolando Romero is an American professional boxer of Cuban descent. Romero was born Rolando Florencio Romero Moreno on October 14, 1995, in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. His father, Rolando Romero Sr., is also a boxer who mainly competed in Cuban local circuits before migrating to the United States.Romero's childhood in downtown Las Vegas was challenging, as he was exposed to violence and crime at an early age. However, he did not drift into crime and began training in martial arts around the age of seven.Romero started training in Judo with his sister, Angelica Romero, who went on to become a seven-time national champion. It was not until he turned 16 that Rolando started training in boxing seriously. His father, Rolando Sr., assisted Cromwell Bullet, the head trainer of the 2012 Olympics boxing team. Watching the 2012 Olympics ignited 'Rolly's' interest in boxing. He later stated:“Up until that moment, I never really cared about boxing. It had been a chore for me because I had never sparred. But then I started thinking, ‘I can do this.’” [H/T Premier Boxing Championships]Romero first trained at Johny Tocco's Ringside Gym in Las Vegas, and competed in national tournaments. After a brief stint in amateur boxing, Romero finished third at the 2015 Olympic trials.During this period, he frequented Floyd Mayweather's Las Vegas-based Mayweather Boxing Club. Romero's skills inside the ring caught the Boxing great's attention, and he subsequently signed a contract in 2016, marking the beginning of his professional boxing journey.Rolando Romero's professional boxing career so farRolando Romero made his professional boxing debut with an impressive 71-second knockout of David Courtney on Dec. 2, 2016. He has since amassed a 16-2 record in the sport.After an unbeaten streak of 13 victories to begin his professional boxing journey, Romero rose to prominence in August 2020, when he defeated Jackson Martinez by unanimous decision to capture the vacant WBA interim lightweight title.However, he experienced the first setback in the WBA (regular) lightweight title fight against Gervonta Davis, suffering a sixth-round knockout defeat.He subsequently moved up in weight and captured the vacant WBA super lightweight title, knocking out Ismael Borroso in May 2023. Unfortunately, he could hold on to the title as Isaac Cruz handed Romero his second loss in the next fight, stopping the Las Vegas native in the eighth round of their March 2024 title fight. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostRomero bounced back with a unanimous decision win over Manuel Jaimes in September 2024, and is now expected to face Ryan Garcia on May 22. The bout will mark Garcia's return to competition. He had received a one-year ban for testing positive for banned substances in his April 2024 fight against Devin Haney. View this post on Instagram Instagram Post