Rolly Romero demands rematch after 116-112 loss to Teofimo Lopez

Rolly Romero has demanded an immediate rematch with Teofimo Lopez after losing his WBA welterweight title by majority decision at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Lopez won 116-112 and 115-113 on two judges’ cards, while the third scored the fight level at 114-114.

Romero believes the verdict denied him a deserved victory. The former champion said Lopez landed only two clean punches in the contest, while his own heavier shots hurt the new champion several times. He also argued that the close official scoring, especially the drawn card, supported his case for another meeting.

The 30-year-old directed his criticism at the officials rather than Lopez. Romero described the scoring as political and said he remained on good terms with his opponent, referring to Lopez as a younger brother. Their friendship was reflected in an embrace before the final round, despite Romero’s anger over the decision.

Romero’s strongest spell came in the fourth and fifth rounds. He wobbled Lopez in the fourth, then nearly dropped him with a hard punch in the fifth. Lopez was also cut around the right eye during the exchange. Romero claimed one of his damaging shots should have counted as a knockdown and said another late-round punch left Lopez in trouble before the bell interrupted the attack.

Lopez recovered after that difficult period and controlled much of the remaining action through greater activity, speed and accuracy. Romero acknowledged that he could have applied more pressure, while the fight’s scoring suggested Lopez gathered enough close rounds during the champion’s quieter periods. The challenger’s defensive approach meant he could not reproduce the impact of his fifth-round assault.

The victory made Lopez a three-weight world champion after he moved up to welterweight. He improved from a 22-2 record, while Romero entered the bout at 17-2 following two consecutive wins. Romero now needs Lopez and the promoters to agree to negotiations because no rematch clause is in place, leaving his demand dependent on the new champion’s decision and the broader plans for the division.