Teofimo Lopez outpoints Rolly Romero to become three-division champion

LAS VEGAS — Teofimo Lopez became a three-division world champion on Saturday night, winning a 12-round majority decision over Rolando "Rolly" Romero to claim the WBA welterweight title at T-Mobile Arena.

Judges scored the fight 114-114, 115-113, and 116-112, with the last two favoring Lopez (23-2, 13 KOs). The victory added a title at 147 pounds to his previous championships at lightweight and junior welterweight.

According to Compubox punch statistics, Lopez landed 124 of 530 total punches, including a career-high 62 jabs, while Romero (17-3, 13 KOs) landed 73 of 352, with just two in the final round.

A fifth-round scare

Romero, making the first defense of the title he won by upset decision over Ryan Garcia in May 2025, hurt Lopez in the fifth round. The challenger opened a cut over Lopez's right eye with a left hook and followed with a looping right hand that wobbled him.

"He hit me with a shot that woke me up," Lopez said in the ring after the fight. "I was just buzzed. I got right back to it. I stayed cool, calm and collected."

From the sixth round on, Lopez regained control, using his jab and footwork to keep Romero at range while scoring with combinations. Romero, who had been out of the ring for 15 months, struggled to sustain his offense and reached double figures in punches landed in only the fifth round.

Romero disputes the decision

Romero, a Las Vegas native, was outraged by the scorecards.

"When I heard 114-114 I knew it was a robbery," he said. "I got hit with two punches the whole fight that barely grazed me. I was never in any trouble."

The close scores drew criticism from several boxing figures. Claressa Shields wrote on X that Lopez "won this fight clearly," praising his bodywork, jabs, and right hands, while Lamont Roach suggested Romero boxed well in the first half, but Lopez's activity won the later rounds.

Other critics included Josh Taylor, Sergio Mora, and Francisco A. Salazar, who echoed the view that the fight should have been scored wider for Lopez. MMA Fighting scored it 118-110 for Lopez.

Lopez looks ahead

After the fight, Lopez declined to call out a specific opponent. He mentioned wanting to fight the winner of the upcoming WBC title fight between Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn, or pursue unification bouts against Liam Paro or Devin Haney.

"September 12th, right?" he said, referring to the Garcia-Benn clash scheduled in the same Las Vegas ring. "So, you got Ryan Garcia versus Conor Benn. That's the next one. We'll see what happens there. If Conor wins, it's a great fight to take across the pond. I think I'd rather wait for Devin at the end. So, it'll either be Liam Paro next or the winner out of Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn."

Jack Catterall, who holds the WBA "Regular" title, responded on X: "Congratulations Teofimo Lopez but I will be taking that belt 100%. Let's Gooo."

Lopez also revealed that he is expecting his second child and plans to take time off, meaning he will not fight again in 2026.

"I'll be honest, guys, I got a baby on the way. I just wanna take some father time," he said.

A complicated history

Romero and Lopez, friends and former sparring partners since around 2016, had a complicated relationship heading into the bout. In 2019, Lopez gave Romero $5,000 after Romero broke his hand, a gift Romero credited with helping him build his career. Romero said Lopez initially "ducked" him and only took the fight after a proposed deal with Zuffa Boxing fell through, a claim Lopez disputed.

Romero had also been open about his mental health struggles during his time away from the ring after the Garcia win, saying boxing "almost tore me apart."

The fight was streamed on DAZN pay-per-view and Prime Video, but it drew a lukewarm response from fans and media. Broadcaster Al Bernstein said there was "literally not an ounce of buzz here in Las Vegas for the Lopez-Romero fight," a sentiment echoed by fans who questioned the appeal of the matchup.

Full card results

  • Gary Antonio Russell def. Victor Santillan via unanimous decision
  • Yoenli Hernandez def. Francisco Daniel Veron via majority decision
  • Carlos Ultria def. Israel Mercado via split decision
  • Marco Romero def. Kahlil Mitchell via first-round TKO
  • Benjamin Johnson def. Jose Gabriel Rodriguez via decision
  • Aldo Blancas def. Ricky Mamone via unanimous decision