Rolly Romero teases fight date as mandatory squeeze approaches

The WBA’s patience is running out; It’s officially “put up or shut up” time for the champ.

We all know how Rolly works. He is interested in massive salaries and maximum eyeballs. If a giant fight with a bigger name shows up, he’ll drop that belt without batting an eyelid. That’s just Rolly Romero’s experience, and that’s exactly why no one would be surprised if he leaves the title to pursue a more lucrative opportunity.

From a boxing perspective, Giyasov is a mandatory nightmare. He is a 2016 Olympic silver medalist, blessed with considerable power and a high IQ. He doesn’t let himself be shaken when things get complicated and he knows how to apply pressure.

He’s certainly not the type of “easy win” that champions usually seek when forced to defend. The business side is also becoming tense. Eddie Hearn, who promotes Giyasov, doesn’t play the game with “saved” money. He wants the fight or a scholarship offer, period. This takes away Rolly’s favorite time-saving tool.

Rolly acts like he doesn’t even know who Giyasov is, but the WBA doesn’t care about social media issues. A mandatory is a mandatory. He finds himself at a crossroads: take on a dangerous fight for credibility, or give up the belt to race for a mega-event. Both movements are classic Rolly.

If he stays and fights Giyasov, you have to give him props for winning a tough style match. If he walks away, it proves that the belt was just a tool for leverage all along.