Rolly Romero Is Stretching a Victory Lap With a Belt

Shakhram Giyasov remains mandatory challenger nearly a year after Romero’s win

Rolly Romero is stretching a victory lap while holding a belt hostage, and that’s bad for the sport. Romero has not defended his WBA welterweight title since defeating Ryan Garcia last May. Nearly a year later, mandatory challenger Shakhram Giyasov remains without a fight date.

In a recent interview, Romero spent several minutes breaking down silver markets and mineral shortages.

“We’re at like an 800 million ounce deficit,” Rolly said to Fighthype. “For every 250 ounces of silver, there’s one physical ounce on the market.”

That level of urgency did not extend to his WBA welterweight title. Asked about his next fight, Romero said, “I hate that question,” before adding, “Why am I going to get a free promotion to something that doesn’t exist?” He closed with, “Be patient.” That might be clever promotion. It is not championship behavior.

Romero’s mandatory challenger, Shakhram Giyasov, has been waiting in line while the belt-holder searches for larger paydays. Giyasov is unbeaten and properly installed as the mandatory challenger, but nearly a year later, the title still hasn’t been defended, and the division continues to wait.

Romero insists, “I don’t duck nobody. I fight everybody.” The timeline doesn’t match the claim. Nearly ten months without a defense is the problem.

Champions do not get to treat mandatories as optional. The belt carries an obligation. When a titleholder signals that business flexibility comes first and defenses come second, the division slows down, and the belt loses force.

There’s nothing wrong with caring about the money, and nobody should pretend otherwise, but this sport has always worked in a certain order. You win the belt, you defend it against the guy who earned his place, and you show it wasn’t a one-night spike. The business side can come after that. A title isn’t something you keep warm while talks drag on; it’s something you prove in the ring.

Long stretches without a defense weaken a champion’s position, and if Romero continues to stall this fight, attention will shift from negotiations to the status of his belt.