Lopez wins WBA welterweight title via majority decision

Teofimo Lopez became a three-division world champion on Saturday night, defeating Rolando "Rolly" Romero by majority decision to claim the WBA welterweight title at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The victory, which came seven months after a loss to Shakur Stevenson, saw Lopez rebound and add a third weight class to his championship résumé.

The fight was competitive, particularly in the early rounds. Lopez established his jab and activity level in the opening frames, but Romero found success with his counter left hook. In the fifth round, Romero landed a hard shot that badly hurt Lopez and opened a deep cut over his right eye. However, Romero was unable to capitalize on the moment, and Lopez recovered to regain control from the sixth round onward. Lopez increased his work rate, attacking the body and outboxing a defensive-minded Romero for the remainder of the contest.

The judges' scorecards reflected the competitive nature of the bout. Two judges, Tim Cheatham and Max DeLuca, scored it for Lopez, 116-112 and 115-113, respectively. The third judge, Glen Feldman, scored the fight a draw at 114-114, resulting in a majority decision for Lopez. The scoring drew criticism from...