Tag Archives: Liam Paro

Teofimo Lopez Defeats Rolando “Rolly” Romero in WBA Welterweight Bout to Become Three-Division World Champion

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Teofimo Lopez is expanding his divisional dominance…

The 29-year-old Honduran American professional boxer became a three-division world champion on Saturday night, when he captured the WBA welterweight title over his former friend and sparring partner Rolando “Rolly” Romero at the T-Mobile Arena.

Teofimo Lopez,In his welterweight debut, Lopez (23-2, 13 KOs) held up well against Romero’s power en route to a majority decision. One judge scored the bout 114-114, while the other two had it 115-113 and 116-112 for Lopez.

It was an impressive bounce-back for Lopez after his lopsided decision loss to Shakur Stevenson in their WBO super lightweight title fight in January.

“I need to tell you guys, if you lose and you come back, then you never lost because you’re a winner,” Lopez said. “I’m a winner. I’m a true example of what winning is, and it ain’t about losing. It’s about never giving up.”

It was Romero’s first appearance since he claimed the WBA title in an upset decision over Ryan Garcia in May 2025. It’s difficult to say whether the 15-month layoff hurt Romero’s performance, but he struggled to keep up with Lopez’s pace and timing in the second half.

According to Compubox, Lopez landed 124 of 530 total punches; Romero (17-3, 13 KOs) landed 73 of 352, including just two in the final round.

Despite the punch totals, Romero was outraged about the scores.

“I got hit with two punches the whole fight that barely grazed me,” said Romero, a Las Vegas native. “I was never in any trouble. When I heard 114-114, I knew it was a robbery.”

Romero knocked Lopez off-balance with a counter left hook in the fourth round and had him visibly hurt with a right hand in the fifth, but Lopez recovered quickly and responded with some of his best work in the sixth and seventh rounds.

Lopez landed 62 jabs in the fight and 124 shots to the body.

“I expected something similar to this, just a little more combinations from [him],” said Lopez, who sparred with Romero multiple times in his amateur and early-professional career. “He was calculated, staying composed and listening to his corner. We had to go push the fight if need be. There was a shot he hit me with that woke me up, and I told him, ‘You got to do better than that.’ I just kept saying, ‘You ain’t going to take me out. It’s not that easy.'”

Lopez has plenty of potential options in his new division, including WBO champion Devin Haney, the winner of next month’s WBC clash between Garcia and Conor Benn, and IBF champion Liam Paro. The current WBA mandatory challenger is regular champion Jack Catterall.

Romero suffered his first loss since he was stopped in the eighth round by Isaac Cruz in March 2024.

Regis Prograis Defeats Danielito Zorrilla to Defend His WBC Junior Welterweight Title

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It wasn’t his best showing, but Regis Prograis has successfully defended his title…

The 34-year-old half-Hispanic American boxer successfully defended his WBC junior welterweight title by defeating Danielito Zorrilla by split decision on Saturday night at the Smoothie King Center.

Regis PrograisPrograis won on two cards 118-109 and 117-110 while one scorecard went Zorrilla’s way 114-113.

Prograis (29-1, 25 KO) was honest about his performance and felt he could have put on a better show for the local crowd.

“My performance was s—. I can admit to myself it wasn’t a good performance,” Prograis said. “The last two days, I felt the hometown jitters. The hometown fights, they are the worst. I felt it going into it yesterday into today. I got the job done. I kept the belt. I’m happy about that, but I’m definitely not happy about my performance.”

Zorrilla (17-2, 13 KO) took the fight on less than a month’s notice as he was a late replacement for undefeated Australian fighter Liam Paro, who pulled out of the bout with an injury.

Following the fight, Prograis sat with Matchroom boxing promoter Eddie Hearn as the two spoke with reporters about what options could be next at 140 pounds. Bill Haney, Devin Haney‘s father, was in attendance on Saturday but Hearn said there are plenty of options for Prograis’ next fight.

Hearn mentioned Haney, Teofimo Lopez and Gervonta Davis as all great fights that could be made for Prograis.

“For me, it’s up to Regis,” Hearn said. “I mean, I think the great thing about tonight is there’s going to be a lot of people queuing up to fight. I’ve not heard any of those big names mention Regis’ name before tonight, other than Devin. But now I think you’re going to see people actually target Regis Prograis that he might be beatable now.

“Which we know, there’s a completely different performance to come from Regis Prograis. I think that’s the one thing that I’m happy about and I believe Devin wants that fight.”

It was the first successful title defense of Prograis’ career. After winning the WBA title at 140 pounds from Kiryl Relikh in 2019, Prograis dropped the belt in a majority decision to Josh Taylor later that year. It remains the only loss of his career.

This time, Prograis defended his crown.

In the third round, Prograis dropped Zorrilla with a left hand and started to build on that momentum the rest of the fight. However, that quickly went away as the two danced and plotted on each other for the remainder of the fight.

“He came to survive,” Prograis said about Zorrilla. “He didn’t want to get knocked out. He came to survive. I was chasing him. I just had to chase him for 12 rounds.”

Prograis went to the mat three times but none were ruled knockdowns by referee Ray Corona. In the first round, Zorrilla stunned Prograis with a right knocking him off balance, and both men went to the ground as Prograis tried to clutch with Zorrilla falling into the champion. However, it was ruled as a push. In the 10th round, Prograis’ fall was called a slip and then he again touched the mat in the 12th on a push.

He admitted after the fight that he felt the first-round fall didn’t feel like a knockdown in the moment but looking back at the replay, it could have been.

This was the first major championship fight inside the Smoothie King Center since 2000 when undisputed light heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr. defeated Eric Harding at what was then called New Orleans Arena (Derrick Gainer also defeated Freddie Norwood for the WBA featherweight title on the same card).

It was the third card that Prograis has headlined in New Orleans. His previous two fights were at the Lakefront Arena on the campus of the University of New Orleans.

New Orleans rap duo Fresh X Reckless performed during Prograis’ walk as he put his own flair on the entrance with a 10-foot Rougarou — Prograis’ nickname and a werewolf-like monster from local folklore — following him.

However, because of those “hometown jitters” Prograis mentioned, there’s a good chance his next fight won’t be in the city.

“I don’t think next time,” Prograis said. “We’ll probably go on the road and then come back here down the line. But not next fight.”

Hearn said there are opportunities for Prograis that could be in Las Vegas or the Middle East for his next fight.

Regis Prograis Looking for New Opponent for Summer Homecoming Bout

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Regis Prograis is on the hunt for a new opponent…

The 34-year-old half-Hispanic American boxer is looking for a new challenger for his June 17 homecoming title defense in New Orleans after Australia’s Liam Paro withdrew with an injury.

Regis PrograisPrograis (28-1, 24 KOs) will make the first defense of the WBC junior welterweight title he won with an 11th-round KO of Jose Zepeda in November.

Prograis signed a three-fight promotional deal with Eddie Hearn‘s Matchroom Boxing earlier this month and will headline on DAZN.

ESPN’s No. 3 boxer at 140 pounds, Prograis’ lone career defeat came in 2019 when he dropped a majority decision to Josh Taylor in a title unification in London.

Paro (23-0, 14 KOs) was set to fight outside Australia for the first time. Whoever replaces Paro will fight for the title on less than four weeks’ notice.

Regis Prograis Signs Three-Fight Deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing

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Regis Prograis has a new deal…

The 34-year-old half-Hispanic American boxer, a junior welterweight champion Regis Prograis, has signed a three-fight deal with Eddie Hearn‘s Matchroom Boxing.

Regis Prograis Prograis (28-1, 24 KOs) accepted the offer over a more lucrative offer from Top Rank, sources said.

Prograis’ first fight with Matchroom will take place on June 17 in Prograis’ native New Orleans against Australia’s Liam Paro (23-0, 14 KOs), Prograis told ESPN. Sources said it is a headline bout on DAZN.

“Over the last few weeks, I’ve been contemplating which move I should make next,” Prograis said. “I had a lot of good offers on the table. But I feel like Matchroom is the best for me. I just feel like it’s the right fit. From the beginning I had that gut feeling and it never left. I can’t wait to start this chapter in my career.”

Prograis, who fights out of Houston, was ringside with Hearn for the Canelo Alvarez–John Ryder undisputed super middleweight championship fight, Canelo’s first fight in Mexico in nearly 12 years.

ESPN’s No. 3 boxer at 140 pounds, Prograis became a two-time champion when he scored an 11th-round KO of Jose Zepeda in November. Prograis’ lone professional defeat came against Josh Taylor in 2019 via majority decision.

Now that he’s aligned with Matchroom, Prograis could be matched with Jack Catterall, ESPN’s No. 1 junior welterweight. Catterall, who signed with Hearn last month, dropped a controversial decision to Taylor last February in his lone pro defeat.