English boxer Jack Catterall is demanding that Rolando “Rolly” Romero either defend his WBA Super World Welterweight title against him within 90 days or vacate the championship. Catterall, the current WBA (Regular) Welterweight Champion, became the mandatory challenger for Romero’s title after securing the secondary strap on May 23 in Giza, Egypt.
The British southpaw’s camp is now pressuring the World Boxing Association (WBA) to accelerate the timeline for this mandated title bout.
Following Catterall’s victory, the WBA ordered Rolando Romero to face the new Regular champion within 180 days. However, promoter Eddie Hearn and Jack Catterall are advocating for the window to be halved to 90 days, citing the champion’s recent inactivity. Rolando Romero has not competed in 13 months, with his last appearance being a victory over Ryan Garcia in May 2025 at Times Square.
The push for a quicker resolution follows Jack Catterall’s dominant performance against the previously undefeated Shakhram Giyasov. Fighting in front of the Pyramids, Catterall dropped the former Olympic silver medalist in the opening round and swept the judges’ scorecards to claim the vacant WBA (Regular) title. This win followed a period where com/rolando-romero-wba-title-giyasov-catterall/”>Rolando Romero was elevated by the sanctioning body, leaving the secondary belt for Catterall and Giyasov to contest.
Jack Catterall refuses to wait for Rolando Romero
Jack Catterall made it clear during an appearance on DAZN’s Inside The Ring that he does not intend to spend months in waiting. He noted that his previous opponent, Shakhram Giyasov, had been pursuing a fight with Romero for a considerable time without success.
“We jumped at the chance to slipstream in and get in that position to fight Rolly,” Jack Catterall explained, adding that he dropped a WBO mandatory spot specifically to avoid a long wait.
The English champion has communicated his stance firmly to co-manager Sam Jones and promoter Eddie Hearn. He stated that if a fight cannot be made promptly, the champion should step aside. “If not, vacate the title, do whatever you’ve got to do,” Jack Catterall said. “But we just want to carry on fighting, stay busy and fight all these top guys.”
This sense of urgency is shared by many in the sport who are wary of long delays in major divisions. While contract disputes have stalled negotiations in the heavyweight class previously, Catterall is looking to ensure the welterweight path remains clear. He expressed a desire to travel to Las Vegas to handle the business against Rolando Romero personally before returning to the United Kingdom.
Potential obstacles and the WBA ruling
While Jack Catterall is focused on Rolando Romero, the champion’s team has reportedly explored other high-profile matchups. Discussions have surfaced regarding a potential unification bout with WBO champion Devin Haney, though no official agreement has materialized. Jack Catterall noted that while he would welcome fights with figures like Haney or Ryan Garcia, the WBA Super title remains his immediate priority.
If the WBA enforces the stay-active rules, Rolando Romero will be forced to make a choice. A refusal to meet the mandatory challenger within the prescribed timeframe could lead to the WBA Super title being declared vacant.
Under sanctioning body rules, such a vacancy often leads to the “Regular” champion being involved in a fight for the full world title or being considered for elevation, though the WBA has not officially confirmed these next steps.
The situation mirrors other high-stakes scenarios where mandatory contenders have grown restless due to champion side-lining. For instance, the IBF middleweight eliminator process has seen similar pressures to keep divisions moving. Jack Catterall’s team believes that after his clinical display in Giza, he has earned the right to force the champion’s hand or see the title freed up for active contenders.
Analysis of the WBA welterweight landscape
The outcome of this demand will significantly impact the 147-pound hierarchy in the coming months. Rolando Romero’s long layoff has created a bottleneck at the top of the WBA rankings. By winning the WBA (Regular) title, Jack Catterall has effectively positioned himself as the most legitimate threat to Romero’s reign.
His willingness to fight in Las Vegas shows a commitment to taking the belt on the champion’s home soil.
Promoter Eddie Hearn’s involvement suggests that legal and administrative pressure will continue to mount on the WBA. Sanctioning bodies are increasingly under fire for allowing champions to remain inactive for over a year while mandatory challengers wait. Jack Catterall’s “fight or vacate” ultimatum is a strategic move to ensure his career momentum is not lost following the Giza victory.
In the coming weeks, the WBA hierarchy must decide whether to uphold their original 180-day window or side with Hearn’s requested 90-day limit. Should Romero choose to vacate to pursue a “money fight” elsewhere, the welterweight division will see a significant reorganization. For now, Jack Catterall remains the WBA (Regular) champion, waiting for a date to prove his superiority over the division’s Super champion.
