Teofimo Lopez captured the WBA welterweight title by majority decision over Rolando Romero on August 22, 2026, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The victory makes Lopez a three-division world champion, though a controversial 114-114 scorecard from judge Glenn Feldman sparked widespread debate across the boxing world.
The main event pairing two of the sport’s most unpredictable personalities delivered a tactical battle rather than the explosive stoppage many anticipated. Lopez, moving up to the 147-pound division for the first time, used his jab and lateral movement to control the distance against the heavy-handed Romero.
Scorecard Controversy and Ring Reactions
While two judges scored the bout 115-113 and 116-112 for Lopez, a third judge, Glenn Feldman, inexplicably scored the fight even at 114-114. Had the other two judges agreed with Feldman, Romero would have retained his title despite being largely outboxed.
Romero, making the first defense of the WBA belt he won 15 months earlier against Ryan Garcia, voiced strong disagreement with the final verdict during his post-fight remarks.
“When I heard 114-114 I knew it was a robbery. I got hit with two punches the whole fight that barely grazed me. I was never in any trouble.”
Rolando Romero, via The Guardian
Romero’s most dangerous moment came in the fifth round, when he sliced open a cut above Lopez’s right eye with a left hook and followed up with a looping right hand that noticeably wobbled the challenger. Lopez weathered the heavy onslaught, later acknowledging that the blow served as a necessary wakeup call.
“He hit me with a shot that woke me up. I was just buzzed. I got right back to it. I stayed cool, calm and collected.”
Teofimo Lopez, via The Guardian
Rebuilding After Defeat and Financial History
The championship victory marks a rapid rehabilitation for Lopez, who entered the ring just seven months after a comprehensive defeat to Shakur Stevenson, where he dropped a wide decision behind identical 119-109 scorecards. Rebuilding his team alongside his father and trainer, Teofimo López Sr., Lopez successfully transitioned to welterweight to claim his third divisional crown following prior reigns at lightweight and junior welterweight.
Despite the high stakes, the fighters maintained an unusual personal rapport rooted in a decade-long friendship. Weeks before the opening bell, Romero revealed an unprompted financial gesture from Lopez in 2019, when Lopez handed him $5,000 out of nowhere after a difficult period following a bout against Masayoshi Nakatani.
“Well, I remember after he beat Nakatani, I was in a bad place financially. I remember Teo gave me $5k out of nowhere. He just calls me randomly… That money did so much for me. I can’t really say anything bad, you know?”
Rolando Romero, via Sports Illustrated
Weighing the PPV Undercard and Financial Structure
Promoted by Premier Boxing Champions at the T-Mobile Arena, the pay-per-view broadcast was distributed via DAZN and Prime Video for a price of $79.99. The supporting card featured several notable results across different weight classes, highlighted by Yoenli Hernandez securing a majority decision over Francisco Daniel Veron in a 10-round middleweight clash, and Gary Antonio Russell outworking Victor Santillan to earn a lopsided unanimous decision in their interim title fight.
With the victory finalized, Lopez leaves Las Vegas holding the WBA welterweight championship and re-established among the elite multi-division titleholders in boxing, while Romero faces a return to the drawing board following his first defense of the belt.
