Teófimo López Beats Rolly Romero to Claim WBA Welterweight Title

Teófimo López became a world champion in a third weight division on Saturday night, defeating Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero by majority decision to take the WBA welterweight title at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Guardian reported that the 12-round result added a 147-pound championship to López’s previous title reigns at lightweight and junior welterweight.

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Two judges scored the contest for López, 115-113 and 116-112, while the third returned a 114-114 draw. Romero, who was making his first defense of the belt he won from Ryan Garcia 15 months earlier, disputed the verdict after the decision was announced. The official scores nevertheless gave López the title and completed his move into the welterweight championship ranks.

According to punch statistics cited by The Guardian, López landed 124 punches compared with Romero’s 73. His jab was a central part of the performance, accounting for a career-high 62 connects. López used that weapon alongside movement and range control, limiting Romero’s opportunities to consistently bring his heavier punches into play.

Romero had his strongest period in the fifth round. He opened a cut above López’s right eye, then connected with a left hook and a looping right hand that hurt the challenger. López remained on his feet, made it through the attack and recovered before the round ended, allowing him to regain control through much of the middle and later stages.

Another opening came for Romero in the 11th, when a left hook knocked López off balance. The final round remained closely contested, with neither boxer establishing an unmistakable advantage before the judges decided the outcome. Romero reached double figures in landed punches in only the fifth round, according to the report, while López continued to score with single shots and combinations from outside.

The victory restored López to championship status seven months after Shakur Stevenson beat him by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring that bout 119-109. His response in Las Vegas was built on measured boxing rather than a stoppage, and it delivered the defining result: a welterweight belt and championship recognition across three divisions.