The WBA has thrown a wrench in the plans for a Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero vs. Pacquiao fight by ordering that Rolly defend against his mandatory challenger, Shakhram Giyasov.
Yesterday, on October 13, it was revealed that Romero (17-2, 13 KOs) would be fighting Pacquiao next on January 24 or 31, 2026, in Las Vegas. That fight is no longer looking good now that the WBA has ordered Rolly to begin negotiations with the Eddie Hearn-promoted Giyasov (17-0, 10 KOs).
Rolly’s Golden Ticket Threatened
Unless a step-aside deal is worked out for Giyasov, Romero will have to defend against him next or give up the WBA belt. He’s not likely to do that because it’s his golden ticket for the fight against the 46-year-old Pacquiao. The Filipino star wants to capture another world title, and that makes Romero useful for that purpose. Without the WBA title, Rolly is a meaningless fight for Pacquiao. He needs the belt to validate him.
It wouldn’t be a big deal for Romero to get the mandatory defense out of the way if his chances of winning were high. They’re not. The ultra-talented Giyasov is on another level to Romero, and would be a pure nightmare for him to deal with.
It would be the same for Pacquiao as well. Neither of these guys is fighting at the level Giyasov is now. Pacquiao isn’t going to want to wait for Romero to fight Giyasov first, because the end result would be bad for him. If and when Rolly loses to Giyasov, Pacquiao will end up having to fight him for the title. That’s not good for him.
Maybe a younger version of Pacquiao, but not the soon-to-be 47-year-old one that we saw laboring to a 12-round majority draw against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in his last fight on July 19, 2025.
PBC will have to work out a step-aside deal for Giyasov to allow the lucrative Pacquiao vs. Romero fight to go ahead on January 24. That fight should generate a lot of money.
Giyasov’s Long Wait Ends
Giyasov, 32, has already been the WBA mandatory since September 2024, when the WBA ordered then WBA welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis to defend against him.
An expensive step aside deal was made to Giyasov to allow Stanionis to face IBF champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis on April 12, 2025. Ennis later vacated the WBA belt after defeating Stanionis. Giyasov’s WBA mandatory status restarted on April 12.
Rolly won the WBA ‘regular’ welterweight title with a win over Ryan Garcia on May 2, 2025. That’s when the mandatory Giyasov became his responsibility. He had 120 days to leeway before his defense against him was due. Those 120 days have now expired; hence, the WBA’s order of Romero to defend against Giyasov.
Michael Collins has been writing about boxing since 2016, covering championship fights, rising prospects, and the business side of the sport.