Lopez Beats Romero to Become Three-Division Champion

Teofimo Lopez became a three-division world champion on Saturday night, outboxing Rolando Romero over twelve rounds to claim the WBA welterweight title by majority decision at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

A masterclass built on volume and recovery

From the opening bell, Lopez imposed a steady rhythm. He worked behind a sharp jab and targeted the body, landing 124 of his 530 punches while Romero connected with only 73 of 352.

Two moments of danger, then a clear response

Romero threatened to shift the fight in the middle rounds. A counter left hook in the fourth knocked Lopez off-balance, and a right hand in the fifth left him visibly hurt. Lopez recovered at once, producing his strongest work in the sixth and seventh to re-establish control.

The three ringside judges returned scores of 114-114, 115-113, and 116-112. Uncrowned's unofficial card had Lopez a six-point winner, 117-111.

The bout marked Lopez's debut at welterweight, eight months after losing his WBO super lightweight title to Shakur Stevenson. "If you lose and you come back, you never lost, because you're a winner," he told reporters afterwards. "It ain't about losing, it's about never giving up."

He now holds major titles at lightweight, super lightweight, and welterweight, a run that began with his breakout 2020 upset of Vasyl Lomachenko.

A new division opens fresh terrain, with champions Devin Haney and Liam Paro already holding the other belts.