What To Know
- Teofimo Lopez Jr. delivered a disciplined performance to defeat WBA World Welterweight champion Rolly Romero in a majority decision victory at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
- With the win, Lopez Jr. is now a three-division world champion.
- On the undercard, Yoenli Hernandez and Carlos Utria won majority decisions. Gary Antonio Russell breezed to a win.
Teofimo Lopez Jr. has been a fan-friendly showman beloved by his fans for most of his boxing career. On Saturday, he set entertainment aside to fight for himself and his future.
In a smart, disciplined, and mature performance, Lopez Jr. of Las Vegas via Brooklyn (23-2, 13 KOs) disarmed Rolly Romero of Las Vegas (17-3, 13 KOs) of his best weapons, winning a majority decision to become the new WBA World Welterweight champion in his first fight in the division.
Scores were far closer than most observers expected: 116-112, 115-113, and 114-114. NY Fights scored it 118-110 for Lopez Jr.
Asked about the scorecards, Lopez Jr. said, “The scorecards? I could care less,’cause at the end we got the victory.”
Disciplined Performance From Teofimo Lopez Jr.
Both Romero and Lopez Jr. have been inconsistent in their performances in the ring. Their unpredictable nature added to the fight’s intrigue. On Saturday, Lopez Jr. buckled down and stuck to a smart game plan, relying on feints and showing hand and foot speed based on his athleticism. He remained defensively responsible to avoid any game-changing power shots from Romero.
Romero’s lack of activity made it easier for Lopez Jr. Lopez Jr. was the man coming forward, snapping off jabs and touching Romero’s body, choosing his opportunities to land solid hooks in the second half of the fight. Romero was content to stay on the move as he searched for his opportunity to land a fight-ending punch.
Romero came close in the fifth round, landing a hard right hand that rattled Lopez Jr. and threw him off balance. Lopez Jr.’s legs buckled, but he managed to stay upright and avoid putting a glove on the canvas for a knockdown. Romero opened a significant cut over Lopez Jr.’s left eye, gushing blood. It wasn’t long before both men were covered.
But instead of trying to close the show, Romero backed off, and he lost any opportunity to capitalize on hurting Lopez Jr.
Romero’s trainer Ismael Salas implored Romero to get busy, telling him after the ninth round, “Get him to bite! Please give me a jab with power. You’re not going to the Hall of Fame like this.” Romero never made eye contact with Salas, and said nothing.
Lopez Jr. might have been tempted in the later rounds to indulge himself and get more aggressive. Scorecards aside, he was the fighter moving forward and forcing Romero to move and fight off the back foot. He tagged Romero in the 11th round, but he didn’t stray too much from his tactical approach and secured the victory.
“I expected something similar to this,” said Lopez Jr. “Just a little more combinations from Rolly’s side. But he was just calculating and staying composed, listening to the instructions in his corner. But we had to go and push the fight if need be.”
Speaking about the fifth round, Lopez Jr. said the right that landed “woke me up. I told him right there. I said, ‘You got to do better than that.’ I just kept saying, ‘Yeah, you’re gonna take me out? It’s not that easy.’” It wasn’t, and he couldn’t.
Where Was Rolly Romero?
All week, Romero was in a bit of a haze, saying little at fight week events and barely acknowledging his presence. He fought in that same haze, barely listening to trainer Ismael Salas and making no eye contact with him.
Asked about the loss, all Romero said was, “I’d like to just thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for everything in my life that I’ve got to enjoy. I will always be your faithful servant.” He then left the ring.
Romero did appear at the post-fight news conference and said he wanted a rematch with Lopez Jr. Lopez Jr. said he believes fans would rather see him pursue another world title. “There are people that don’t want these belts no more,” said Lopez Jr.
It’s difficult to determine exactly what was wrong with Romero and whether the pressure or his own well-documented mental health issues had surfaced.
Teofimo Lopez Jr.’s Plans: Fatherhood
Lopez Jr. said he’s got some things to work on but pointed out he didn’t take a tune-up fight. “This is about making boxing great again, and I’m not talking about that Trump shit. I’m talking about the real shit, traditional shit. It ain’t about how you lose. I’m a winner, and I’m always be a winner.”
For now, Lopez Jr. said he wants to focus on the impending birth of his second child, saying it’s time to be a father. “We’ll talk about what’s next after this. But right now, I just I think I just need a moment to feel feel like all of you guys, like a human.”
Undercard Highlights: Wins for Hernandez, Russell, Utria
Cuban middleweight Yoenli Hernandez (11-0, 9 KOs) got past Francisco Daniel Veron of Argentina (17-2-1, 10 KOs) to win the co-main event. Steve Weisfeld delivered a surprising 95-95 card, but Hernandez prevailed on the other two cards by 99-91 and 98-92.
Veron gave it a solid effort, but he is coming up from super welterweight and didn’t have enough heft to challenge the solid Cuban power puncher, but he fought well enough to make it to the bell, only the second opponent to survive Hernandez.
Super bantamweight Gary Antonio Russell of Washington, DC (22-1, 13 KOs) put his fight on cruise control, handling Victor Santillan of the Dominican Republic (16-3, 7 KOs) with ease. The first half was marred by excessive holding. The sole highlight was a good-looking knockdown by Russell from a right hook to the top of Santillan’s head in the final round, but Santillan ended the fight on his feet.
Russell wins the WBA interim title and hopes to become the third Russell brother to become a world champion. Russell credited his late father for his skills. “I thank him for everything he instilled into us, all the game that he gave us, for us to keep it pushing for him.”
Fans in the know were eager to see talented super lightweight Carlos Utria of Colombia (15-0, 11 KOs) make his American debut. Utria barely escaped with a split decision after getting a stiff challenge from Israel Mercado of Montclair, California (13-2-2, 7 KOs).
Utria had plenty of firepower, but Mercado stood up to it and gained ground as the fight progressed. When the scores of 97-93 and 96-94 were read for Utria, with one 96-94 card for Mercado, the fans at the T-Mobile Arena booed. Judge Patricia Morse Jarman took heat for the 97-93 card. Mercado was done dirty. It tainted Utria’s debut and he knew it.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.
