Romero Asks the WBA to Delay His Fight With Giyasov. The Challenger’s Team Is Against It

WBA Welterweight champion Rolando Romero has filed a request with the organization asking for an exception that would allow him to postpone his bout with mandatory challenger Shakhram Giyasov.

Romero points to the high profile of other potential opponents, including WBO titleholder Devin Haney and former eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao.

Giyasov’s team is questioning whether such an exception can be granted at all, since Romero has no signed agreement for another fight.

“We категорically oppose granting any special permission that would relieve Romero of his obligation to make his mandatory title defense. At different times, we were given contradictory explanations for why Romero supposedly cannot make the mandatory defense.

First, we were informed that Romero could not fulfill his obligations allegedly due to a medical report. Now we are being told that the basis for the exception is a planned fight with Manny Pacquiao.

It is important to emphasize that this fight with Pacquiao is not confirmed, not announced, and is purely hypothetical. As we understand it, at best it is only being considered as a target for March 2026, which is a fairly distant prospect.

In addition, the media is openly discussing the possibility that Pacquiao is instead in talks for a fight with Floyd Mayweather, which only underscores the uncertainty and speculation surrounding this supposed basis for an exception.

Speculative future fights that have no contractual confirmation and no official sanctioning are not grounds to suspend a mandatory defense. Champions are obligated to defend their titles against the highest-ranked available contenders within the established timeframes to preserve sporting integrity and clarity in the division.

Granting special permission on the basis of an unconfirmed, hypothetical bout would undermine confidence in the mandatory defense system and would cause significant harm to Giyasov’s earned status as the division’s leading contender,” the letter said.

In May, Rolando Romero (17-2, 13 KOs) defeated Ryan Garcia by unanimous decision.

Shakhram Giyasov (17-0, 10 KOs) last fought in April, when he knocked out Franco Ocampo in the fourth round.