With Rolly Romero, we have come to expect the unexpected, but onlookers were nonetheless stunned by his latest admission.The WBA welterweight champion was at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Wednesday night for an open workout ahead of his upcoming clash with friend-turned-foe Teofimo Lopez this weekend.Romero claims he was taking estrogen when he fought Garcia in May 2025GettyBefore flashing a few punches in front of the cameras, Romero was interviewed in the ring by broadcaster Curran Bahati.The conversation quickly turned to Romero’s career-best win over Ryan Garcia last time out in May 2025, and his struggles with poor mental health in the aftermath.Romero raised some eyebrows when he told Bahati that his bout of depression was caused by him unknowingly taking the female hormone estrogen.“So one of the pills I was taking, it kind of messed up my hormones really badly and caused me crazy depression,” he said.“That was the cyanide I was taking that destroyed my life.“And it’s crazy now, I beat Ryan Garcia while taking estrogen.“But God was the one who told me what it was and saved me.”What adverse effects does estrogen have on men?While anti-estrogenic substances, such as selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), are banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), estrogen is not.Unlike exogenous forms of the male hormone testosterone, which is strictly prohibited due to its ability to boost athletic performance, estrogen does not have the same effects.It is widely used for legitimate medical treatments like hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and contraception for women.View Tweet: https://x.com/hashtag/RollyTeofimo?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwRomero takes on Lopez on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las VegasGettyIn men, heightened estrogen levels have adverse effects on athletic performance, as it lowers natural free testosterone.This can consequently decrease muscle mass, increase body fat, and reduce strength and endurance.If these claims prove to be true, then it makes Romero’s win over Garcia all the more impressive.Romero dropped Garcia in the second round with a double left hook and cruised to a comfortable unanimous decision to claim the WBA ‘regular’ welterweight strap.His belt was subsequently upgraded to the full world title in May when Jaron Ennis vacated it to move up to super welterweight.Romero is now set to defend his belt for the first time against Lopez, who is making his 147lbs debut after dropping his WBO super lightweight title to Shakur Stevenson in January.Watch Boxing on DAZN*If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenueSign up to DAZN to access the definitive subscription for boxing fans.Upgrade to DAZN Ultimate from just £24.99/month, guaranteeing access to 185+ fights annually, a minimum of 12 pay-per-views at no extra cost, as well as every Lega Serie A match and other elite football access.Alternatively, DAZN Standard is just £15.99/month, with the caveat you will have to pay for pay-per-view events.Click here to sign up.