Las vegas: American boxer Teofimo Lopez has added another accolade to his career by becoming a three-weight world champion. On Saturday, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Lopez claimed Rolando Romero's WBA 'Super' welterweight world title, winning by majority decision. However, Lopez surprised many by choosing not to call out Briton Jack Catterall, the current holder of the WBA 'Regular' belt, for his first title defense.
According to Ghana Web, the 29-year-old Lopez has set his sights on the winner of the upcoming WBC title fight between current titleholder Ryan Garcia and English contender Conor Benn. Alternatively, he is also considering a unification bout with Australia's IBF champion Liam Paro. "September 12th, right?" Lopez remarked, referencing the Garcia vs. Benn fight scheduled to occur in the same Las Vegas ring. He expressed interest in potentially facing the winner, particularly if Benn emerges victorious, as he sees it as a compelling cross-Atlantic matchup.
Lopez's decision to bypass Catterall, who is next in line due to holding the WBA 'Regular' belt, sparked a swift response from Catterall himself. He took to social media to congratulate Lopez while boldly declaring his intentions to claim the belt for himself. Lopez's latest victory marks his first fight since losing his WBO light-welterweight title to Shakur Stevenson at the start of the year. Despite suffering a significant cut above his right eye during the fight, Lopez managed to maintain control against Romero, a long-time friend and sparring partner.
The judges' scores reflected a competitive match, with two judges favoring Lopez 116-112 and 115-113, while the third judge controversially scored it a 114-114 draw. Despite the win, Lopez is still seeking his first stoppage victory since 2022. Meanwhile, Romero, who suffered his third loss in 20 fights, expressed dissatisfaction with the decision and called for a rematch.