Rolly Romero’s two knockout losses tell less about Saturday’s fight than the gradual erosion visible in Teofimo Lopez.
Gervonta Davis and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz stopped Romero, accounting for two of the three opponents displayed beside him in a Ring Magazine graphic. Ryan Garcia is the only fighter on Rolly’s side whom he defeated. The comparison makes his career look noticeably weaker than Teofimo’s.
Vasiliy Lomachenko, Josh Taylor and Shakur Stevenson appear beside Teofimo. Stevenson is a questionable inclusion because their meeting occurred in the amateurs, but the victories over Lomachenko and Taylor still surpass anything Rolly has accomplished as a professional.
“Rolly Romero and Teofimo Lopez meet for the WBA welterweight title on Saturday night in Vegas. Who has fought the tougher opposition in their career so far?” Ring posted on X.
Teofimo clearly faced the stronger competition. The graphic leaves out what those fights took from him.
Lomachenko forced Teofimo through a difficult second half in 2020. George Kambosos Jr. dropped and defeated him the following year. Sandor Martin, Jamaine Ortiz and Steve Claggett each dragged him through uncomfortable rounds. Even some of his victories added wear.
Nearly six years have passed since the Lomachenko fight, and Teofimo no longer performs with the same consistency, combination punching or confidence. His physical ability remains, but it surfaces in shorter stretches. At 29, he looks old in boxing terms.
A different version surfaced against Arnold Barboza Jr. Teofimo stayed mobile, landed quickly and refused to remain close enough for extended exchanges. The cautious approach secured the decision, but he stunk out the Times Square event.
His tactics looked borrowed from Shakur, with Teofimo adopting the least entertaining parts of that style without matching Shakur’s defensive precision. Winning took priority over pleasing the crowd, but the change suggested he no longer trusted the aggression that carried him past Lomachenko.
Rolly has developed in the opposite direction. Defensive holes remain, but his patience, timing and punch selection have sharpened. His power has never been in doubt.
That does not mean he would beat Tank or Cruz in rematches. Both would remain favorites, although neither fight would necessarily be as easy today. Those knockout losses resemble defeats young amateurs absorb before developing into more complete fighters.
Rolly does not need the better collection of victories to win Saturday. He needs one clean opening against a worn Teofimo whose finest performance came nearly six years ago.