Teófimo López outpoints Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero for WBA welterweight title in Las Vegas
Teófimo López outpointed Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero to claim the WBA welterweight title at T‑Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night, winning by majority decision after 12 rounds.
The judges scored the bout 115-113 and 116-112 for López, while the third card read 114-114, giving López a majority verdict. Romero was making the first defence of the title he won against Ryan Garcia 15 months ago, and the victory gave López a world title at 147lb in addition to previous championship reigns at 135lb and 140lb.
López controlled much of the fight behind his jab and movement, frequently keeping Romero from closing the distance. According to Compubox punch statistics, López landed 124 punches to Romero’s 73 and recorded a career-high 62 jabs. Those numbers underpinned López’s paced approach through the middle rounds.
Romero’s strongest sequence arrived in the fifth, when he opened a cut above López’s right eye and followed with a left hook and a looping right that visibly hurt the challenger. Romero pressed forward as López bled heavily, but the 29-year-old weathered the attack and recovered before the round ended. López said afterward: “He hit me with a shot that woke me up. I was just buzzed. I got right back to it. I stayed cool, calm and collected.”
López reasserted control in the middle and later rounds, using footwork to stay outside Romero’s range while scoring with single punches and combinations. The 30-year-old struggled to sustain his offense and reached double figures in punches landed in only the fifth round. In the 11th, Romero landed a left hook that knocked López off balance, but neither fighter established a decisive advantage in the final round.
Romero disputed the verdict immediately after the decision was announced. “When I heard 114-114 I knew it was a robbery,” Romero said. “I got hit with two punches the whole fight that barely grazed me. I was never in any trouble.”
The win completed a rapid return to championship status for López, coming seven months after Shakur Stevenson outpointed him by identical scores of 119-109. López reflected on that defeat as positive for him, saying “the best thing that could have happened to us” and adding: “If you lost and you come back, then you never lost, because you’re a winner,” and “I’m a true example of what winning is. It’s about not giving up.” He also said: “I just had to stay busy and keep my range against a strong puncher,” and “I’m just looking forward to the next thing.”