Teofimo Lopez Beats Rolando Romero, Wins WBA Welterweight World Title

Teofimo Lopez (23-2, 12 KOs) beat Rolando Romero (17-3, 13 KOs) by majority decision (114-114, 115-113, and 116-112) to win the WBA welterweight world title, and become a three-division champion.

It was Lopez’s activity, speed, and accuracy that got him through the Romero fight as the challenger boxed well enough to warrant the scores that were read out, much to Romero’s chagrin. “I got hit with two punches the whole fight that barely grazed me,” Romero said.

Romero connected with 73 of the 352 punches he threw, while Lopez landed 124 from 530.

“I was never in any trouble,” Romero said. “When I heard 114-114 I knew it was a robbery.”

Romero’s best work came in the fifth when he opened a nasty cut over Lopez’s right eye, and appeared to have him hurt from a sequence that included a left hook and right hand. Lopez survived and out-landed Romero in all but one of the subsequent rounds.

It wasn’t just a win for Lopez as much as Romero beating himself. Romero showed against opponents like Ryan Garcia that he could land patient, powerful shots but those were too few and far between versus Lopez. He showed no urgency, particularly in the 12th — a round in which he only landed two shots.

Though the fight was not hung in the balance at that point, Romero had regardless relinquished the bout to Lopez.

“If you lost and you come back, then you never lost, because you’re a winner,” Lopez said. “I’m a true example of what winning is. It’s about not giving up … I’m just looking forward to the next thing.”

It was Romero’s first fight in 15 months. For Lopez, it was a chance to add the WBA welterweight title to his previous honors — the WBO light welterweight title, and WBA, WBO, and IBF lightweight belts.

TGB Promotions: Romero vs. Lopez

Gary Antonio Russell def. Victor Santillan via Decision (Unanimous) – 118-109, 119-108, 119-108
Yoenli Hernandez def. Francisco Daniel Veron via Decision (Majority) – 95-95, 98-92, 99-91
Carlos Utria def. Israel Mercado via Decision (Split) – 97-93, 96-94, 94-96
Marco Romero def. Kahlil Mitchell via TKO – First Round
Benjamin Johnson def. Jose Gabriel Rodriguez via Decision
Aldo Blancas def. Ricky Mamone via Decision (Unanimous) – 39-36, 39-36, 40-35