Lopez Cracks Top 3 At Welterweight After Romero Win

Teofimo Lopez has climbed into the top three of ESPN's welterweight rankings after stopping Rolando Romero to capture the WBA title at 147 pounds.

The former unified lightweight champion moved up two weight classes and immediately cracked the upper tier of a stacked division, ESPN reports. Lopez now sits behind only the elite names at welterweight following his February victory over Romero.

Lopez's Move to 147 Reshapes Division

The win marked Lopez's first world title in a third weight class. He previously held belts at 135 and 140 pounds before making the jump to welterweight, where he entered ESPN's rankings behind the division's established champions.

Romero, who lost his WBA strap in the bout, dropped out of the top tier after the defeat. Lopez's arrival at 147 sets up potential matchups with the other ranked welterweights as he seeks unification opportunities in his new home.

ESPN updates its divisional rankings monthly to reflect recent results and title changes across all weight classes.

Reported via:

• ESPN Boxing — Boxing divisional rankings: Teofimo Lopez soars to top 3 in a new weight class