Alberto Puello Loses Belt; Vacant WBA Title Added To Romero vs Barroso
In what is now official news, on May 13, Rolando “Rolly” Romero (14-1, 12 KO’s) and Ismael Barroso (24-3-2, 22 KO’s) will fight for the vacant WBA super lightweight title. Initially Romero was slated to face Alberto “La Avispa” Puello (21-0, 10 KO’s), who was then WBA 140-pound champion, until Puello flagged for the banned substance clomiphene. Upon the finding, the prizefight with Romero was nixed and Puello was replaced with Barroso. Yet the overall fate of Puello remains in limbo. In the meantime, the WBA has declared Puello, 28, to be a “champion in recess” while his situation is resolved.
The final outcome for La Avispa will not be known until after May 17. This is when he will either attend a hearing by the Nevada Athletic Commission and a decision is made, or VADA reports a negative result for his B-sample. The VADA outcome would only come into play if Puello himself requested the B-sample to be tested. Also, as part of the WBA ruling, the winner of Romero vs Barroso will be mandated to face Ohara “Two Tanks” Davies (25-2, 18 KO’s) no later than 120 days after May 13.
The upcoming May 13 bout will mark back-to-back title attempts for Rolando Romero. Ranked #5 (WBA), Rolly suffered his first professional loss by way of sixth round stoppage at the hands of Gervonta Davis May 28, 2022. Clearly a win over Ismael Barroso, ranked #1 (WBA), would instantly make Romero a major player in the division. As far as the on-going situation with Puello goes, 3Kings Boxing will continue to provide all the latest breaking news.
