The WBA is expected to instruct Romero to defend his title against Giyasov. The Uzbek contender, an Olympic silver medalist, has built a controlled professional run at welterweight and represents a serious competitive test.
A merger changes the enforcement order. Sanctioning bodies generally allow titleholders to have belt-by-belt fights before fulfilling mandatory obligations. If Romero finalizes terms with Haney, the Giyasov defense will be delayed. If negotiations fail, Romero must either defend against Giyasov or vacate the title. Haney said Romero’s team made contact.
“His manager reached out to us with a good offer, something that made sense to me and my team. Now we’re starting to negotiate,” Haney told InsideTheRing. Haney also responded to criticism regarding opponent selection.
“We haven’t heard from Rolly since the Ryan Garcia fight. So, I didn’t take it personally. He can say what he wants to say. The world knows that I’m ‘Deebo’ for a reason because I’m the guy that pulls everybody up and wants to make the biggest and best fights happen. So the duck talk is for somebody else, not me.”
Romero hasn’t publicly outlined his next move since defeating Ryan Garcia in May. Negotiations with Haney provide a path to a second titleholder and a higher-profile event at 147.
For Haney, the fight presents an opportunity to unify titles in a new division and answer criticism through activity rather than reaction.
If an agreement is reached, the WBA will be mandatorily postponed. If not, Romero’s next step will be determined by the sanctioning body’s order.
