Teofimo Lopez beats Rolly Romero and targets undisputed title run

Teofimo Lopez defeated Rolando “Rolly” Romero by majority decision to claim the WBA welterweight title, then outlined his ambition to become the undisputed champion. The victory lifted Lopez’s record to 23-2 with 13 knockouts, while Romero moved to 17-3 with 13 knockouts.

The bout between the two friends became a technical contest rather than the sustained exchange many expected. Lopez controlled the opening three rounds with his jab and body work, limiting Romero’s chances to build attacking momentum.

Romero made the more damaging impression in the middle rounds. A left hook late in the fourth round unsettled Lopez, and another left hook in the fifth opened a cut above Lopez’s right eye. Romero then landed a heavy right hand that weakened Lopez’s legs before Lopez survived the remainder of the round.

Lopez restored his approach in the sixth, using the jab and returning to the body. He applied measured pressure in the seventh and landed a firm right hand, although Romero again connected with a strong check hook before the round ended. Lopez remained disciplined through the final rounds and did enough work to secure the majority decision despite Romero producing the more noticeable individual punches.

The result made Lopez a world champion in three divisions. At his post-fight press conference, he said the WBA belt represented the start of a campaign to collect the other welterweight titles. Lopez also indicated that the three fights remaining on his DAZN deal would be used to pursue that objective.

Lopez is now the WBA champion in a division that also includes Devin Haney, the WBO titleholder, Ryan Garcia, who holds the WBC belt, and Liam Paro, the IBF champion. A win over Paro would give Lopez a second welterweight title, while a bout involving the winner of Garcia and Conor Benn could offer the larger event. No next opponent has been confirmed.