Rolando Romero is now pressed with a mandatory obligation while in pursuit of a far more lucrative opportunity.
The reigning WBA welterweight titleholder was ordered to next face No. 1 contender Shakhram Giyasov, the sanctioning body announced on Monday. News of the mandated title defense comes as Romero remains the rumored frontrunner to face former eight-division titlist Manny Pacquiao in January in Las Vegas.
“Romero… must defend it within 120 days from the date of acquisition, as established in Championship Rule C.11,” the WBA confirmed in a ruling made available to the public. “That period expired on September 1, prompting the Committee to issue the mandatory bout notice for Romero, whose next opponent must be the official challenger, Giyasov.
“Additionally, Championship Rule C.13 stipulates that a champion cannot engage in a non-mandatory fight within 60 days following the expiration of the mandatory defense period.”
Romero is represented by TGB Promotions on behalf of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), who already plan to finalize Romero-Pacquiao. Giyasov is promoted by Matchroom Boxing in association with World of Boxing.
Romero, 17-2 (13 KOs), won the title following an upset unanimous decision victory over Ryan Garcia on May 2 at Times Square in New York City.
Garcia was heavily favored to prevail in what was a secondary WBA title fight at the time. A win would have positioned the well-known boxer for a rematch with Devin Haney later this year.
North Las Vegas’ Romero ruined everyone’s plans, beginning with a second-round knockdown and then remaining in control.
Romero was subsequently upgraded to full titlist once Jaron “Boots” Ennis vacated his WBA and IBF 147lbs titles to campaign at junior middleweight.
It has been whispered that Romero and Pacquiao were deep into negotiations for a potential showdown at the start of 2026. However, no such deal has been reached as this goes to publication, nor was any sufficient update provided to the WBA.
It’s a moot point, as the sanctioning body noted that Romero’s mandatory title defense is past due, along with the elapsed period to squeeze in a voluntary defense.
Giyasov, 17-0 (10 KOs), was an inherited mandatory for Romero. The unbeaten 32-year-old – who claimed a silver medal for Uzbekistan in the 2016 Rio Olympics – was previously in queue to next face Ennis.
It was agreed by all parties for Ennis to face then-unbeaten WBA welterweight titlist Eimantas Stanionis in an April unification bout. Ennis won via stoppage after the sixth round, on a show where Giyasov won on the undercard.
The ruling at the time called for Ennis-Giyasov to take place within 120 days. That dynamic changed once Ennis moved up in weight and Romero was elevated to full titleholder. The WBA’s effort to honor the deadline failed miserably, as the mandatory fight being ordered in mid-October gives little to no hope of the fight happening in a timely fashion.
There still remains the chance it doesn’t happen at all. Giyasov could wind up with another substantial step-aside offer, instead allowing Romero and Pacquiao to finalize terms for their showdown.
