Teofimo Lopez beats Romero 116-112 as Catterall threatens plans

Teofimo Lopez won the WBA Super welterweight title by majority decision over Rolando Romero at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The judges scored the fight 116-112 and 115-113 for Lopez, with the third card level at 114-114.

The victory has put Lopez in position to pursue high-profile fights with Ryan Garcia, Conor Benn or Devin Haney. Jack Catterall, however, could block those plans because he is the holder of the WBA’s secondary welterweight title and has already made his confidence clear on X, saying he believes he can beat both Lopez and Romero.

The WBA had ordered its Super champion to meet the winner of Catterall’s bout with Shakhram Giyasov within 180 days of their May 23 fight. Catterall won that contest, making him the next challenger for a title-unification fight. The original deadline is November 19, although no fresh public order naming Lopez has been issued since his win over Romero.

Lopez secured the decision through sustained pressure, his jab and work to the body. Romero spent extended periods moving away and waiting for a counter, allowing Lopez to take rounds through greater activity. Romero did hurt him with a left hand in the fifth round and caused a cut above Lopez’s right eyebrow, but Lopez recovered and regained control.

The injury could complicate the timetable for the mandatory fight. With November 19 less than three months away, Lopez may need additional healing time before returning to sparring and beginning another full camp. His team could seek a medical extension if the cut remains vulnerable, but any delay would still leave the WBA obligation in place unless Catterall accepts a step-aside arrangement or the governing body authorises another fight.

Catterall presents a more demanding test than Romero’s cautious approach. His southpaw stance, timing, counterpunching and disciplined defence could challenge Lopez’s lead hand and force him to restart attacks. Lopez landed the cleaner punches in Las Vegas but did not seriously hurt Romero, leaving Catterall with a clear opportunity to threaten the champion’s preferred route to bigger-money bouts.