The WBA ordered a pair of title fights Monday.
The sanctioning body announced on its website that it ordered welterweight champion
Rolando “Rolly” Romero to face No. 1 contender
Shakhram Giyasov. The WBA also mandated that featherweight champion
Nick Ball must make his next title defense against
Brandon Figueroa, who is No. 1 in its featherweight rankings.
Romero and Giyasov have until November 13 to reach a deal, while Ball and Figueroa have until November 12. The bouts will go to purse bids if deals can’t be struck before those deadlines.
Between the two fights, Ball-Figueroa appears far more likely to happen. Uzbekistan’s Giyasov likely will be asked to step aside again to allow Romero to face
Manny Pacquiao for much more money than he’d earn for facing Giyasov.
The Ring’s Mike Coppinger reported on “Inside The Ring” recently that North Las Vegas’ Romero (17-2, 13 KOs) is the frontrunner to face the International Boxing Hall of Famer and eight-division champion. Pacquiao, 46, announced last week that he will return to the ring January 24 in Las Vegas, but he didn’t mention potential opponents.
Romero, 29, became the WBA world welterweight champion with his 12-round, unanimous-decision upset of Ryan Garcia (24-2, 20 KOs, 1 NC) on May 2 at Times Square in New York. He was elevated to full champion after Jaron “Boots” Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs, 1 NC) vacated his Ring, IBF and WBA welterweight titles in June to move up to junior middleweight.
Giyasov (17-0, 10 KOs) has already stepped aside once so Ennis could face Eimantas Stanionis in a title unification bout April 12 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Giyasov, 32, last fought on the Ennis-Stanionis undercard, when he defeated Franco Maximiliano Ocampo (17-3, 8 KOs) by fourth-round knockout.
Figueroa (26-2-1, 19 KOs), a former WBC featherweight and WBC super bantamweight champ from Weslaco, Texas, last fought on the Pacquiao-Barrios undercard.
Figueroa, also 28, defeated three-time title challenger Joet Gonzalez (27-5, 15 KOs) by unanimous decision in their 10-rounder.