Teofimo Lopez will challenge Rolando “Rolly” Romero for the WBA welterweight title despite losing his last fight, continuing a disappointing trend that boxing appears increasingly willing to accept.
Romero will defend his world title against Lopez on August 22 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with the fight available on Prime Video and DAZN pay-per-view.
The matchup itself has plenty going for it. Romero is rarely far from entertainment, while Lopez is attempting to become a three-weight world champion in his first fight at 147 pounds.
There is, however, one obvious negative, the fact that Lopez lost his last fight.
Teofimo Lopez Gets Immediate Title Shot
The 28-year-old surrendered his WBO super lightweight title to Shakur Stevenson in January, losing a one-sided decision before deciding to move up to welterweight.
His reward is an immediate shot at another world championship.
Lopez enters the fight with a record of 22-2 and 13 knockouts, but there is no victory at 147 pounds on his record. There is not even a comeback win following the Stevenson defeat.
He has gone directly from losing his world title to challenging for another one in a higher division.
In boxing terms, none of this is new, but that might be the biggest problem.
Surely, winning your previous fight should count for something before receiving a world title opportunity.
Rolly Romero Benefited Before
The irony is that Romero knows exactly what it is like to benefit from the same system.
Ryan Garcia entered his fight with Romero last May on the back of a no-contest against Devin Haney after his victory was overturned.
Romero stunned Garcia in Times Square and won the vacant WBA regular welterweight title before being elevated to full champion when Jaron “Boots” Ennis moved up to super welterweight.
The 30-year-old has not fought since that victory, despite being linked with possible fights against Haney and Manny Pacquiao.
Those bouts failed to materialize, leaving Lopez as the man who will receive Romero’s first defense of the full WBA championship.
Romero against Lopez is a fascinating fight and should produce plenty of interest before August 22.
But Lopez lost his last fight convincingly. He has never fought at welterweight and has no win at 147 pounds.
Now he is fighting for a world title and boxing may have learned to accept it.
The fact that a good fight has been made still does not make it right.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a veteran boxing reporter with 15+ years of experience. He has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside since 2010. Read full bio.
