Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero vs Teofimo Lopez Press Conference Notes & Quotes

On Thursday afternoon in Hollywood, California, WBA welterweight champion Rolando Romero (17-2, 13 KOs) and Teofimo Lopez (22-2, 13 KOs) formally announced their DAZN pay-per-view main event, which takes place on August 22 live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

It’s no secret that Romero and Lopez have a friendship that goes back years, but there have been moments when they haven’t been in the best place. Regardless of their friendship status, they will face each other in an intriguing matchup between two fighters who could greatly benefit from a clear victory.

For the 30-year-old Romero from Las Vegas, NV, a victory would mean back-to-back wins against two of the sport’s biggest names (Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez). It would also make Romero a legitimate player at 147. Yes, Romero holds a title, but he hasn’t received the respect of being a welterweight champion, so this fight would quiet those who question his legitimacy.

On the other hand, the 28-year-old Lopez from Brooklyn, New York, is coming off a loss in January to Shakur Stevenson, where he was dominated from the first round to the last. According to Lopez, he recently signed a partnership with DAZN for his Takeover Promotions worth more than 20 million dollars. If this is all true, then there is a ton of pressure on Lopez to deliver on fight night and beyond.

During the press conference, the two competitors were mostly respectful, with the exception of Lopez’s father, “Jr.,” who tried to stir the pot with comments about Romero. He didn’t get the reaction he may have hoped for, as Romero mocked him by saying, “We beat Lomachenko,” in his best interpretation of Jr. Lopez brought out props, including a pair of feet, as Romero has publicly stated he has a foot fetish. Lopez also brought out a duck to show that Devin Haney failed to meet Romero for a fight.

Overall, the press conference was solid, and there likely won’t be any verbal jabs between them until fight week. For now, they will both return to their respective training camps and prepare for August 22.

Here are some quotes from Lopez and Romero at Thursday’s presser.

ROLLY ROMERO

“It’s been a hard time trying to make a fight, but we know that Teofimo is gonna fight anyone. So I’m thankful that he stepped up to the plate. 

“I needed the time off to focus on me. I’m just happy to be back with another big event and to be here at the announce of the PBC and DAZN deal. This is just one of so many great fights that are gonna come from it.

“I feel pretty good right now. We’re gonna have to see if I’m even better than I was against Ryan Garcia. I’ve missed boxing. I really don’t do this for anything other than the love of the sport.

“A fight’s a fight, a sparring session is sparring. Everyone’s sparring each other. People get cracked. Now we’re doing it under the big lights for a belt. I feel like this fight gives me the opportunity to become a Hall of Famer.

“Me and Teo aren’t friends, he’s my little brother. I’d rather go in there against him than anyone else.”

TEOFIMO LOPEZ

“I feel great. It’s put up or shut up. We’re at a point in time in my career where everything is at stake. People want to know if this is the start of something new for me. I look forward to it.

“I want to thank the champ for stepping up to the plate. I’m looking forward to becoming a three-division world champion at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on August 22.

“We know each other enough to know what triggers us. We know secrets possibly that people don’t know. This is gonna be a big fight for the next era of boxing.

“I believe that I haven’t even touched the surface of what I’ve got to give to this sport. When I face the champion, I’ll be 29. I’ve got a lot of good prominent years left. I’m gonna answer all the questions on August 22.”

Abraham Gonzalez

Abraham Gonzalez is a 2x award-winning writer, International Boxing Hall of Fame voter, founder and publisher of FightsATW. His journalistic work has been published and used across several platforms, including online, network TV, and promotional companies. He is an alumnus of an American Public University and a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA). Abraham was the Managing Editor for NYFights, Big Fight Weekend, and contributed to The Ring Magazine, FanSidedMMA, and ProBoxTV.

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