Eddie Hearn wants Rolando “Rolly” Romero to fight Jack Catterall within 90 days rather than wait for the full 180 days set by the WBA for a mandatory defense, especially after Shakhram Giyasov has already spent months waiting for a title fight that never came.

Catterall (33-2, 14 KO) won the vacant WBA welterweight title last Saturday in Egypt with a 12-round unanimous decision over Giyasov (17-1, 10 KO). After the fight, Hearn made it clear that he wanted Romero to move quickly to fight the newly crowned champion.

“They’re two avoided guys and they were both mandatory governing bodies. Jack was mandatory for the WBO. Shakhram was mandatory for the WBA. They decided to just roll the dice and they deserve all the credit and respect for that,” Eddie Hearn said last Saturday of Catterall and Giyas.

“These are two avoided guys. Two of the top fighters at 140 pounds, and Jack was exceptional today. He started swift, he was aggressive, and now he has a share of the world championship, but we want the full portion.”

The WBA officially ordered Romero to defend against the winner of the Catterall-Giyasov fight within 180 days. Hearn believes there is no reason for the trial to drag on for another six months, after Giyasov has already waited around seven months for his mandatory shot at Romero under the WBA’s original order last October.

“And thank you [WBA president] Gilberto Mendoza, who yesterday gave an official order that the winner of this fight must fight [Super champion] Rolly Romero in 180 days. Why wait 180 days? We don’t need 180 days. 90 sounds better. I also thank Turki Alalshikh,” Hearn said.

Romero has not fought since May 2, 2025, when he defeated Ryan Garcia in Times Square. Despite the inaction, the WBA elevated him to “super” champion status while Catterall and Giyasov fought for a second belt in Egypt. Hearn now wants the WBA to move quickly towards a Romero-Catterall fight rather than allowing another long wait at welterweight.

Olly Campbell is a boxing journalist covering this sport since 2014, providing reports from the ring and technical analyzes of the most essential fights. His work focuses on fighter tendencies, tactical adjustments and the details that shape high-level competition.

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Last updated: 25/05/2026 at 1:28

Oleksandr Usyk retained his heavyweight title in Egypt, but his place at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings did not survive his fight with Rico Verhoeven intact.

Usyk was already on his way down most pound-for-pound charts due to his decision to face a kickboxer rather than a top heavyweight.

Despite DAZN’s insistence during the broadcast that Usyk remained number one, even in their own rankings Naoya Inoue was sitting above the Ukrainian before the blow was dealt at the Pyramids.

This alone suggested that Usyk was never going to retain his long-held number two position, regardless of the result.

The only real question was how far it would fall.

Usyk vs. Verhoeven fight

As detailed in WBN’s round-by-round live coverage, the performance itself only accelerated the slide.

Usyk fought for long stretches with Rico Verhoeven, a GLORY kickboxing legend taking part in only his second professional boxing competition.

Instead of controlling the fight with the dominance you’d expect from one of boxing’s elite pound-for-pound stars, Usyk looked uncomfortable, frustrated and at times truly defenseless against Verhoeven’s awkward movements and odd timing.

Even when the champion finally succeeded delayed and forced a dramatic stoppage, more damage had already been done to his aura.

Usyk’s pound-for-pound decline

After ten rounds of the fight with Verhoeven, WBN decided on number six for Usyk, just above Devin Haney.

Naoya Inoue currently remains number one, with Shakur Stevenson, Jesse Rodriguez, Dmitry Bivol and David Benavidez overtaking the heavyweight champion after the worst performance of Usyk’s career.

This leaves Usyk outside the sport’s true elite class for now, even as he insists on his top-flight status.

However, this is not about depriving Usyk of his achievements. It’s about recognizing the decisions made and the results achieved.

The Ukrainian remains undefeated, still holds the WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles, and has won victories, among others. over Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois.

However, the pound-for-pound rankings are intended to reflect current form and dominance relative to expectations.

The heavyweight champion, widely considered one of the best fighters in the world, should not lose heavily in rounds to an opponent who is just emerging in professional boxing.

There is no escape from this reality, no matter how extraordinary Verhoeven’s boxing style and pedigree.

Usyk is no longer untouchable

The irony is that Usyk will likely win the rematch much easier if the two meet again.

The intrigue around the second fight had largely disappeared, as Usyk was now expected to prepare specifically for the unconventional attacks that had surprised him in Egypt.

However, the first impression cannot be erased, because for one night at the Pyramids, Oleksandr Usyk no longer looked untouchable.

And for a fighter at the very top of pound-for-pound boxing, that image will be challenging to erase from his legacy.

About the Author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

According to. Snoop Dogg is set to star in an upcoming boxing drama titled Deadlinewho first informed about the casting. The Long Beach native will appear alongside Brandon Perea, known for his role as Jordan Peele in the film.

The project is more of a feature film than a series. Eric Amadio, who previously worked on the FX series, is writing and directing. Snoop’s exact role has not been revealed.

History

Per Deadline, it follows a tranquil street fighter raised in a Long Beach group home, torn between a troubled past and a future in professional boxing, trying to leave the backyard brawls behind and following his estranged father into the sport. Amadio described the film as both a coming-of-age boxing picture and a story about faith, presenting the theme as having faith in yourself when no one else has it, and having faith in people who refuse to give up on you.

Amadio addressed both casting choices for the lead role in comments reported by Deadline, saying that Perea gave him the nuanced, complicated fighter the role required and that Snoop portrayed an real character who has seen every version of the kid and still puts his trust in him.

Production details

The film will be produced by Snoop Dogg’s Death Row Pictures along with Everlast Pictures. In a statement, Snoop said his company is proud to be a part of the project, calling it a story built on heart, grit, struggle and redemption, tied to the spirit of Long Beach.

Deadline first reported on the project in March 2022, when rapper and actor Common joined the cast of the film alongside Perea. Filming will begin in Los Angeles this summer.

Snoop Dogg’s acting credits include , , and .