Liam Paro sees Teofimo Lopez ready to lose after Romero test

Liam Paro believes Teofimo Lopez can be beaten after watching the champion struggle against Rolando “Rolly” Romero. Lopez won their 12-round contest by majority decision on August 22, but Paro saw enough weaknesses to strengthen his desire for a unification fight.

Lopez’s first bout at welterweight exposed problems that Paro believes he can exploit. The American waited for isolated counterpunching opportunities, kept his hands low and found it difficult to force exchanges when Romero refused to take the lead. Paro, the IBF champion, believes his southpaw style and active jab would create a different test.

Paro can also use his foot positioning to make Lopez initiate attacks instead of allowing him to wait for counters. Lopez has been less effective when required to take control against opponents who stay disciplined and do not give him careless openings. Paro’s assessment is based on the version of Lopez seen against Romero, rather than on the result alone.

There are risks for Paro in a meeting with Lopez. He experienced major facial swelling against Lewis Crocker and lost momentum when Crocker held him against the ropes with sustained pressure. Lopez does not have Crocker’s physical inside style, but his sudden attacking bursts could still punish Paro if the Australian pauses to recover.

Paro’s victory over Crocker remains an important part of his case for the matchup. He moved up in weight and captured the IBF belt from a naturally bigger, durable welterweight. Lopez, by contrast, won his championship without first facing that kind of physical challenge at the weight.

The fight is not guaranteed to be next for either man. Jack Catterall has a mandatory claim with the WBA, while Lopez has identified the winner of the Ryan Garcia-Conor Benn fight as his preferred opponent. Devin Haney could also be an attractive unification option if he retains the WBO title. Claims of a Haney-Paro agreement have been dismissed by Paro, leaving the IBF champion with a clear view of Lopez’s weaknesses but no confirmed route to the fight.