The proposed fight would end a frustrating stretch on the sidelines for Romero, who has not fought since defeating Ryan Garcia to win the vacant WBA welterweight title in Times Square in May 2025. More than 13 months later, the 30-year-old still has not made a defense of the belt.
Several opponents were linked to Romero during that period, including Conor Benn, Manny Pacquiao, and Devin Haney, but none of those matchups materialized. Despite the extended inactivity and an unresolved mandatory obligation involving Shakhram Giyasov, Romero retained possession of the WBA title.
Lopez has not fought since January, when he lost his WBO junior welterweight title to Shakur Stevenson at Madison Square Garden. The defeat dropped his record to 22-2 and ended his second stint as a world champion.
Earlier this year, Lopez indicated that he planned to move to welterweight after spending most of his career at lightweight and junior welterweight. If the Romero fight is finalized, he will head straight into a world title fight in his first appearance at 147 pounds.
The matchup would also give Lopez an opportunity to become a three-division world champion. Romero, meanwhile, would finally make the first defense of a title he has held for more than a year without entering the ring.
Romero’s next mandatory obligation may already be waiting. After Jack Catterall defeated Shakhram Giyasov for the WBA’s secondary welterweight title in May, the sanctioning body gave Romero 180 days to make a defense against the British contender.
If Teofimo wins the title, potential unification fights with Haney or Garcia could take precedence over a mandatory defense against Catterall under standard sanctioning body rules.
BREAKING: Per sources, WBA welterweight titlist Rolly Romero and Teofimo Lopez camps are negotiating a fight pegged for August that would headline a PBC on Prime Video PPV card. Deal is not done yet. #boxing
— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) June 23, 2026
