Why would it?
If we're drawing parallels, on paper, Sanji also puts himself as Zoro's equal, and so do comments like the "wings" stuff, but then they never are equals when it comes to fighting.
It's also the first time ever that Gaban gets praised anywhere near Roger (not the first time Rayleigh does, but they seem to share the Luffy, Zoro, Sanji dynamic in which Rayleigh is sometimes hyped alongside Roger, and sometimes he poses alongside Gaban).
I'll believe it's not empty hype when I see it. For a Roger equal it should be easy to live up to it this arc.