Rolando “Rolly” Romero is hell-bent on landing a rematch after the WBA welterweight world champion lost a majority decision — and his title — to Teofimo Lopez on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
One judge, Glenn Feldman, controversially scored the bout a draw at 114-114, but judges Tim Cheatham and Max DeLuca overruled him with scores of 116-112 and 115-113 for Lopez.
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“I got hit with two punches the whole fight that barely grazed me,” Romero said immediately after the defeat. “I was never in any trouble. When I heard 114-114, I knew it was a robbery.”
The 30-year-old’s best round of the fight was the fifth, as he hurt Lopez and opened a significant cut on his face. Romero (17-3, 13 KOs), though, struggled to capitalize on that success, and instead surrendered momentum to Lopez (23-2, 13 KOs), who out-landed him in all but one of the subsequent rounds, according to Compubox data.
By the end of the fight, Lopez had limited Romero’s output to just 73 punches connected from the 352 thrown (20.7% accurate), compared to his own tally of 124 shots landed from 530 (23.4%).
“Look at my face,” Romero said, post-fight, still enraged at the result. “I was hit with, what? Two clean shots the whole fight? If that’s enough to beat the champion, it’s enough to beat the champion.”
Rolly Romero (left) lost a tepid bout against Teofimo Lopez on Saturday to drop his WBA title.
(Cris Esqueda via Getty Images)
Lopez disagreed with Romero’s interpretation of the fight.
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On why Romero’s output was low, Lopez said: “I was hitting him back, plain and simple. There were shots I was connecting [with], waiting for the exchange. He knows that. I’m very quick, fast with my shots and very selective. I was tagging that body — look at his ribs. If Rolly doesn’t want to engage, let’s hit his arms and stomach [through] the rounds. That’s what slowed him down, and how we won the fight tonight.”
Romero, though, insisted he is “owed a rematch” and that the judging of the fight was “all political.”
Though loath to elaborate, he did later bemoan how boxers who stick and move get praised yet feels he is criticized for doing the same. “When I do it, why don’t I get the same as everyone else? Because I’m a power puncher? Awkward? I never get a fair shake.
“I clearly outboxed the dude who is supposed to be one of the best. An Olympian. I cut him. Hurt him multiple times. I deserve a rematch.”
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A rematch between Romero and Lopez is not contractually mandated, per their bout agreement. And so Lopez would have to agree to any do-over.
That, though, is unlikely to happen next, as Lopez instead looked ahead to bigger things. He is now one fight into his recent DAZN deal and wants his remaining three fights with the broadcaster to continue a narrative for him walking the road toward an undisputed champion’s status.
Lopez has nearly been an undisputed champion before, having won all but one of the major lightweight world titles when he bested Vasiliy Lomachenko by decision in 2020. Back then, he won the belts in one fight. Now, though, the landscape at 147 pounds is more fractured. Aside from himself as the WBA king, there are three other welterweight champions — WBC king Ryan Garcia, WBO champ Devin Haney and IBF titleholder Liam Paro.
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Lopez wants to pick them off one by one, rather than fight Romero again.
“I’ve got three fights with DAZN and they’re all on the road to be undisputed. We want every world title. No defense, nothing. Keep winning. I don’t want to take the easy route,” he said.
“I’m here to reclaim and get all the world titles. Whoever the next champion is, that’s what it’s all about.”
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