Lopez On His Approach To Facing Romero

Teofimo Lopez has a fight with Rolando Romero on August 22 in Las Vegas, and he has already started thinking about what winning it leads to.

Lopez addressed his approach to Romero, the changes he has made since his loss to Shakur Stevenson in January, and where a win could take him in the welterweight division. The game plan for Romero is straightforward.

"Honestly, just boxing his head off. Getting back to my fundamentals and my basics, that's really what I'm focused on in this upcoming match with Rolly. I know they say he's a heavy hitter. We got into the ring a few times sparring but nothing's like a real fight, so I look forward to a real showdown with him,” Lopez

The Stevenson fight was one-sided in a way Lopez has clearly reflected on. The move from Stevenson's technical precision to Romero's power-based aggression represents as sharp a stylistic contrast as the welterweight division offers. Lopez acknowledged that Romero presents a different kind of problem — awkward, unconventional, capable of landing punches that arrive from unexpected angles.

"A true champion can adapt to anything. With Rolly, he definitely improved and he is awkward at times. He throws his punches in weird ways, but I think that's what makes for an exciting fight, an exciting return for me,” Lopez

Lopez was considered among the sport's elite after his stunning upset of Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020, a performance that announced him as a generational talent. The years since have not maintained that trajectory — losses to George Kambosos and Stevenson have complicated the narrative considerably. Romero has not fought since winning the WBA title with an upset of Ryan Garcia in May 2025, a gap Lopez intends to exploit.

"We're going to take it right to him. I think the same is going to apply to Rolly, him being out a year time frame, so I think we're just going to go in there and take advantage. I think all the cards are laid out for me to take over,” Lopez

Teo also addressed where the winner lands in the broader welterweight picture. Lopez pointed to the Ryan Garcia versus Conor Benn fight as the likely next target for whoever comes out of August 22 on top.

"I think this right here leads to the winner taking on the winner of Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn and that's what we're looking forward to,” Lopez