WHILE Frank Smith intends to put his best foot forward, hoping to negotiate a deal, the Matchroom Boxing CEO admits that a purse bid hearing for Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero vs Shakhram Giyasov is nonetheless the most likely outcome.
Their clash – which, should it come to fruition, will be for Romero’s world welterweight title – was ordered by the WBA last week.
In an online article, the sanctioning body stated that a 30-day period, which concludes on November 13, has been granted for both parties to reach a deal.
Should they fail to agree terms, the WBA is then poised to order a purse bid hearing for Romero’s title defence against mandatory challenger Giyasov, 17-0 (10 KOs), who fights under Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom banner.
Romero, 17-2 (13 KOs), claimed the WBA ‘regular’ strap at 147lbs in May, back when he floored and ultimately outpointed Ryan Garica in an otherwise lacklustre affair.
At the time, Jaron Ennis was still the reigning king of that division, but shortly after ‘Boots’ announced his move up to super-welterweight, Romero was then upgraded to full WBA world champion.
After that, it seemed that the 30-year-old was likely to enter an immediate rematch with Garcia, or perhaps even a voluntary defence against Manny Pacquiao.
But since the WBA’s enforcement of his mandatory obligation, it would now appear that, unless he vacates the title, Romero is set to face leading contender Giyasov early next year.
While not boasting the most eye-catching of resumes, the Uzbek has nonetheless maintained his mandatory challenger status for more than a year.
But in terms of securing his long-overdue title shot, it seems that Giyasov, at this stage, remains a fair way off from discovering any further details.
“We deal with Luis DeCubas Jr, who works with Romero, and I think that’s a fight we will see in the early part of next year,” Smith told Boxing News.
“I think a purse bid is likely, but let’s see if we can get a deal done. Shakhram deserves his opportunity. He’s worked hard to get a shot at the WBA world title, and I believe that he beats Romero.”
