The latest round of talks to consolidate the WBA strawweight title will come with much tighter parameters.

BoxingScene.com has confirmed that the previously canceled Thammanoon Niyomtrong-Erick Rosa title fight is back at the negotiating table. The sanctioning body ordered a fresh round of talks for the WBA strawweight title consolidation bout previously due to take place March 1 in Thailand, which was canceled largely due to a breakdown in communication surrounding Rosa’s in-country eligibility.

The previously recognized purse bid won by Petchyindee Boxing Promotions—the parent company of Petpiya Fight Promotions—was invalidated by the WBA, who have placed clearer stipulations for the reordered title fight.

A fifteen-day negotiation period was assigned, with a March 28 purse bid hearing established if the two sides can’t reach terms. The bout must take place between 45-60 days from the time of the purse bid, without exception.

“The World Boxing Association (WBA) Championships Committee has cancelled the last purse bid for the minimumweight bout between Thammanoon Niyomtrong and Erick Rosa and called for a new purse bid for the next March 28 in Panama City,” WBA Championship Committee chairman Carlos Chavez stated in an official ruling released Thursday. “Niyomtrong’s team had won the rights to the fight and it was to take place last March 3, in Thailand. However, Rosa had problems related to documentation. [After] studying the situation it has been possible to deduce that there is some responsibility on both sides.

“Consequently, the committee, in accordance with its Regulations, considers it appropriate to cancel the award of this bidding due to the extraordinary circumstances. A new Purse bid will now be called with an additional condition that the fight will take place on neutral ground. Whoever wins the rights to promote this fight, will not be able to hold the fight in Thailand or the Dominican Republic.”

As previously reported by Boxing Scene, their March 3 bout ran into trouble when Rosa (5-0, 1KOs) was detained by Thai immigration officials upon arrival in Bangkok. Rosa’s passport did not meet the requirements for Dominicans to travel to Thailand, though it remains unclear why he was not stopped upon boarding a plane en route to Thailand.

A breakdown in communication between his team–led by promoter Belgica Pena of Shuan Boxing—and Petpiya Fight left Rosa’s travel status in limbo before receiving permission to return home. The development thus killed plans for the fight, to the detriment of Petpiya who invested heavily into the event.

The latest ordered fight and the terms that come with it will mean Niyomtrong (24-0, 9KOs) will fight outside of his native Thailand for the second time in his career. The 32-year-old from Surin, Thailand is the sport’s longest-reigning male titleholder, having held the WBA strawweight crown since a decision win over Byron Rojas in their June 2016 title consolidation bout.

Eleven defenses have followed, including his lone career road trip. Niyomtrong turned away the challenge of former WBC titlist Chaozhong Xiong in a July 2018 win in Qingado, China. In his most recent start, Niyomtrong earned a twelve-round, unanimous decision over countryman, close friend and former WBC titlist Wanheng ‘TBE’ Menayothin on July 20 in Chonburi, Thailand.

Rosa (5-0, 1KO) was required to fight outside of his native Dominican Republic for the first time in his ambitious career. The 22-year-old southpaw from Santo Domingo went all ten rounds in his October 2020 pro debut and upgraded to twelve rounds by his fourth pro fight, when he outpointed unbeaten Ricardo Astuvilca to win the now defunct interim WBA strawweight title.

An upgrade to the secondary ‘Regular’ title came in Rosa’s most recent fight, a twelve-round, split decision victory over Vic Saludar in December 2021. He went all of 2022 without a fight, with much of the final three months hoping to lure Niyomtrong to the U.S.

Instead, the ordered title consolidation bout went to a purse bid hearing. Petchyindee Boxing Promotions posted $140,000, outbidding Shuan Boxing ($122,000) who hoped to bring the fight either to D.R. or on a Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) card in early 2023.

A fight in the U.S. would be considered neutral ground, as would anywhere else in the world outside of their birth countries. Of course, their promoters were the only two parties who participated in the previous purse bid, and with neither offer breaking the bank.

Failure to deliver a fight the second time around could result in BOTH fighters being stripped of their belts.

“In the event that there is no acceptable bid for the bidding or if appropriate contracts are not submitted in a timely manner, the championship committee may make various decisions based on the internal rules,” noted Chavez. “Among which is to order a fight between the next two highest ranked fighters in the body.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox