WBA elevates Rolando Romero to Super

The World Boxing Association said Thursday it had elevated Rolando “Rolly” Romero to super champion at welterweight and ordered a new title path beneath him. In the same ruling, the sanctioning body approved a fight between Shakhram Giyasov and Jack Catterall for the vacant WBA welterweight world title. The WBA said Romero must face the winner within 180 days to keep the super designation. The move reshapes a division Romero entered last year by upsetting Ryan Garcia for the WBA’s secondary belt. ### Why did the WBA change Romero’s status now? The WBA said Thursday that its Championships Committee granted a formal request from Romero’s team and reviewed what it called his run as a three-division WBA champion before designating him super world champion. The sanctioning body announced the decision on its official website. April 22, 2025, is the earlier marker in the WBA’s own paper trail. On that date, the organization approved Garcia and Romero to fight for its welterweight title after naming Jaron “Boots” Ennis the WBA’s super champion at 147 pounds, according to a WBA release. That left Romero competing for the organization’s regular title rather than the top WBA belt. ### What happens to the belt Romero already held? The WBA’s Thursday ruling effectively separates Romero’s new status from the title that will be contested on Saturday. The organization said Giyasov, its top-ranked contender, and No. 6-ranked Catterall will fight for the vacant WBA welterweight world title. May 23, 2026, is the scheduled date for that bout, and the WBA lists the site as the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. The sanctioning body’s schedule page identifies the fight as a welterweight eliminator, while the written ruling says the vacant world title is at stake. ### Where does the 180-day clock lead? The WBA said Romero “must” face the winner of Giyasov-Catterall within 180 days to retain super champion status. The organization did not, in the announcement reviewed, publish a specific fight date or negotiation timetable beyond that window. October 13, 2025, shows how the WBA had previously tried to move Romero toward a mandatory defense. In an earlier order, the Championships Committee directed Romero to negotiate with Giyasov for a welterweight title bout and gave the sides 30 days to reach terms, according to a WBA release from last year. ### What is Romero’s recent record in the division? May 2, 2025, was the night Romero beat Garcia by unanimous decision in New York’s Times Square, derailing plans for a Garcia-Devin Haney rematch. ESPN and BoxingScene reported scores of 115-112, 115-112 and 118-109. The WBA’s latest move comes roughly a year after that victory, and the criticism around the decision has centered on the lack of a defense since then. The sanctioning body’s announcement does not cite a Romero title defense at welterweight in the period between the Garcia win and Thursday’s elevation. ### Who are the fighters now tied to Romero’s next move? Shakhram Giyasov enters Saturday unbeaten at 17-0, while Jack Catterall is listed by the WBA at 32-2. The organization ranks Giyasov as its top contender and Catterall as No. 6 at welterweight. The next concrete step is Saturday’s fight in Giza. The winner of Giyasov-Catterall becomes the boxer Romero is required to face within 180 days if he wants to keep the WBA super champion label.