Rolando “Rolly” Romero just dropped a teaser on Instagram claiming a fight date has been locked in. Typical Rolly style. He did not name an opponent, a venue or even confirm if his WBA belt is on the line. He just threw the spark out there and let the fans go with the theories.
The reality on the ground is quite clear. If Romero wants to hang on to that WBA welterweight belt, he’s basically staring down Shakhram Giyasov. Giyasov has been the mandatory challenger since the start of 2024 and has already been skipped twice.
The WBA’s patience is running out; it’s officially “put up or shut up” time for the champion.
We all know how Rolly works. He’s all about the massive paydays and maximum eyeballs. If a huge fight with a bigger name comes up, he’ll drop that belt without blinking. It’s just the Rolly Romero experience, which is exactly why no one would be surprised if he vacated the title to pursue a more lucrative opportunity
From a boxing perspective, Giyasov is a nightmare mandatory. He is a 2016 Olympic silver medalist with serious power and a high ring IQ. He doesn’t get rattled when things get rough, and he knows how to apply pressure.
He’s certainly not the “easy win” champions usually look for when forced into a defense. The business side is also getting tense. Eddie Hearn, who promotes Giyasov, does not play ball with “step-aside” money. He wants the fight or a purse, period. It takes away Rolly’s favorite tool to buy time.
Rolly acted like he didn’t even know who Giyasov was, but the WBA doesn’t care about social media beef. A must is a must. He’s at a massive crossroads: fight a dangerous battle for credibility, or drop the belt in pursuit of a mega-event. Both moves are classic Rolly.
If he stays and fights Giyasov, you have to give him props for taking a tough style matchup. If he walks away, it proves that the belt was just a tool for leverage all along.
Click here to subscribe to our FREE newsletter
Related Boxing News:
Last updated on 13/01/2026
