Lopez wrests Romero's WBA title by decision, now 3-weight champ - ESPN

LAS VEGAS — Teofimo Lopez became a three-division world champion Saturday night, when he captured the WBA welterweight title over his former friend and sparring partner Rolando «Rolly» Romero at the T-Mobile Arena.

In his welterweight debut, Lopez (23-2, 13 KOs) held up well against Romero's power en route to a majority decision. One judge scored the bout 114-114, while the other two had it 115-113 and 116-112 for Lopez.

It was an impressive bounce-back for Lopez after his lopsided decision loss to Shakur Stevenson in their WBO super lightweight title fight in January.

«I need to tell you guys, if you lose and you come back, then you never lost because you're a winner,» Lopez said. «I'm a winner. I'm a true example of what winning is, and it ain't about losing. It's about never giving up.»

It was Romero's first appearance since he claimed the WBA title in an upset decision over Ryan Garcia in May 2025. It's difficult to say whether the 15-month layoff hurt Romero's performance, but he struggled to keep up with Lopez's pace and timing in the second half.

According to Compubox, Lopez landed 124 of 530 total punches; Romero (17-3, 13 KOs) landed 73 of 352, including just two in the final round.

Despite the punch totals, Romero was outraged about the scores.

«I got hit with two punches the whole fight that barely grazed me,» said Romero, a Las Vegas native. «I was never in any trouble. When I heard 114-114, I knew it was a robbery.»

Romero knocked Lopez off-balance with a counter left hook in the fourth round and had him visibly hurt with a right hand in the fifth, but Lopez recovered quickly and responded with some of his best work in the sixth and seventh rounds.

Lopez landed 62 jabs in the fight and 124 shots to the body.