Rolly Romero Presses Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia as Mandatory Defense Nears

WBA titleholder seeks major bout before Shakhram Giyasov defense

Rolly Romero wants a bigger fight next. With a WBA mandatory approaching, he is publicly targeting Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney.

Romero sent out multiple messages on X, targeting Haney directly and trying to pull the conversation toward a major fight.

“He likes to sue people when he loses, but I’d knock him out cold. Let’s make it happen.”

The remark refers to Haney’s lawsuit following his 2023 loss to Garcia. It also marks a change from Romero’s stance earlier this year, when he described a Haney fight as a waste of time and stylistically unattractive.

That position no longer exists. The tone has shifted. Romero knows the timeline. He holds a WBA belt and owes a defense to mandatory challenger Shakhram Giyasov, a dangerous assignment without the financial lift attached to a Garcia or Haney fight.

If Romero wants a larger fight next, he has to raise demand before a mandatory date is locked. Once a purse bid is called, flexibility shrinks.

Haney has not shown a visible interest in facing Romero. Garcia has not pushed publicly for a second meeting. Romero’s upset win created headlines last spring, but it was not followed by another significant bout to solidify his position. In this division, visibility fades quickly if it is not reinforced.

At 140 pounds, belt politics remain crowded. Teofimo Lopez is still involved in possible unification scenarios. Sanctioning bodies move on their own timelines, and voluntary fights do not always override mandatory obligations.

Romero’s recent activity reads less like casual provocation and more like strategic pressure. He needs one of the two names he keeps tagging to respond before the window narrows.

For now, the posts are public and aggressive. The movement he wants has not yet followed.