Top trainer Brian ‘BoMac’ McIntyre believes one man will “smash” the other when Teofimo Lopez and Rolando Romero collide on August 22.
The two welterweights will headline a Premier Boxing Champions event at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, with ‘Rolly’ making a first defence of his WBA world title.
It came as a sizable upset when the American outscored Ryan Garcia, who suffered a second-round knockdown and unanimous decision defeat in May 2025.
Since then, Romero has been upgraded from ‘Regular’ to full WBA champion, entering his maiden title defence after spending over a year out the ring.
Even without the inactivity, though, many would consider the 30-year-old a clear underdog against Lopez, who is making his 147lb debut while also bidding to become a three-weight world champion.
He is, of course, coming off a wide unanimous decision defeat to Shakur Stevenson in January, yet the result is perhaps more a reflection of Stevenson’s brilliance than Lopez’ lack of top-level credentials.
‘The Takeover’ did, after all, manage to dethrone Vasyl Lomachenko and Josh Taylor at 135lbs and 140lbs, respectively, albeit with a series of less impressive performances hampering his elite-level status.
While speaking on the Last Stand Podcast, however, Terence Crawford coach BoMac nonetheless revealed his prediction of an emphatic Lopez victory.
“Teofimo gonna smash that dude [laughs]. I don’t even know why they made that fight. They giving Teofimo another title, man.”
While Romero is credited with possessing an unpredictable style and no shortage of physical strength, many would agree that Lopez’s overall athleticism and world-level experience makes him a sizable favourite.
