Teofimo Lopez Faces August 22 Pressure, Gabe Rosado Says

Rosado believes the former champion must rebuild his fundamentals after the Shakur Stevenson loss before facing Rolly Romero

Teofimo Lopez carries more pressure than Rolly Romero into their August 22 welterweight fight, according to Gabe Rosado. The former title challenger believes Lopez must rebuild the fundamentals that deserted him against Shakur Stevenson if he wants to revive his career at 147 pounds.

Rosado said Teofimo must show he has corrected the mistakes that cost him against Shakur and rediscover the fundamentals that made him one of boxing’s elite fighters.

“If Teo can’t make the adjustments to the mistakes that he made in the Shakur fight, because Teo was lunging in. He was relying too much on his athleticism, and he forgot the fundamentals. He forgot the jab. He forgot the check. He forgot the simple things that got him there,” said Rosado to Ring Magazine.

“Now, if he does that against Rolly, Rolly will make him pay because Rolly is fundamental. He’s a disciplined fighter. Rolly, he’ll just do the same thing over and over that’s working.

“It’s just mentally I want to see where Tio’s at. Athletic-wise, skill-wise, Tio’s the guy. He’s really that guy. But mentally, is he going to make those adjustments? Especially coming off a tough loss.

“The pressure is really on Teo. He has to come back, and he has to look like his old self, especially seeing where the chemistry is with him and his father in that corner. That’s going to play a big factor too.

“You can tell they were off in that Shakur fight. He’s getting yelled at. He’s not even getting yelled at instructions. He’s saying, ‘Where’s your power? Where’s the banana?’ That’s not a game plan. That’s not a strategy. But obviously they had a conversation, and hopefully they’re able to make the adjustment because I think if they’re in sync, it’s a problem.”

Rosado wasn’t alone in questioning Teofimo’s position. The panel noted that Romero enters the fight full of confidence after his victory over Ryan Garcia, while Teofimo is returning from the most one-sided defeat of his career. They also pointed to Romero’s move to welterweight as a possible turning point, arguing he looked stronger and more comfortable at 147 pounds than he ever did campaigning at junior welterweight.

The matchup pits two close friends against each other, but the Ring panel agreed the burden rests on Teofimo. A victory would reestablish him as a major force in a new division, while another loss would leave even more questions about whether he can regain the form that once made him one of boxing’s biggest stars.

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