Rolando Romero Given An Ultimatum

The WBA has pulled the plug on Rolando Romero’s plans for a lucrative fight against Manny Pacquiao, ordering the champion to defend his welterweight title against Shakhram Giyasov instead.

The ruling, issued on January 9, 2026, ends months of speculation and leaves Romero (17-2, 13 KOs) with a career-defining choice: step into the ring with a dangerous mandatory challenger or vacate his world title.

Romero has held the WBA title since his win over Ryan Garcia in May 2025, but his mandatory defense against Giyasov is now officially overdue. While Romero’s team had been pushing for an exemption to face the 47-year-old Pacquiao, that is now not the case.

The Choice

Giyasov (17-0, 10 KOs) has been the #1 contender for over a year. He previously stepped aside to allow other major fights to happen, but his team, led by Vadim Kornilov, has made it clear they will no longer accept “step-aside” money. If no deal is reached, the fight will proceed to a purse bid.

“We are expecting [a] purse bid, as this has dragged on long enough. Romero has to follow the rules and fight his mandatory. It can be a big fight, there are many fans that know Giyasov very well, but are yet to see Romero fight,” Kornilov said

True to form, Romero has dismissed his mandatory challenger in recent media appearances. When asked about Giyasov, the Las Vegas native was blunt: “I don’t even know who that is. I’ve never seen the dude fight. So if I don’t know you, I do not owe you.” If Romero chooses to vacate the title to pursue a bigger payday elsewhere, Giyasov would likely fight the next available contender for the vacant belt. Romero must now make his choice.