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‘Not in my league’: Boxing bad boys collide as champ’s sparring secret exposed — Ultimate Guide Two of boxing’s biggest personalities will throw down in Las Vegas on Sunday when Rolly Romero puts his WBA welterweight title on the line against former two-division world champ Teofimo Lopez. Romero (17-2, 13 KOs) has not fought since producing a huge upset against Ryan Garcia in Times Square in May 2025, dropping the superstar on his way to a unanimous decision victory and the WBA ‘regular’ welterweight crown. Romero v Lopez | Sunday August 23 from 11am AEST | Two of the biggest characters in US boxing will be looking to establish their legacy in the sport. Romero defends his WBA welterweight Title against former two-division champion, Teofimo Lopez. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports. The outspoken American was later elevated to full champion after Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis vacated the belt and moved up to 154 pounds. A blockbuster showdown with Devin Haney was later discussed but failed to materialise, opening the door for Lopez and a clash between two of the sport’s most unpredictable characters. Lopez (22-2, 13 KOs), meanwhile, will be stepping into unfamiliar territory as he makes his welterweight debut. Most fighters would take a tune-up before jumping straight into a world title fight in a new division. Not Lopez, though. ‘The Takeover’ is jumping straight in the deep end against Romero as he attempts to become a three-division world champion and immediately bounce back from his January defeat to Shakur Stevenson. WHEN IS IT? Rolly Romero vs Teofimo Lopez takes place on Sunday, August 23 Australian time. The pay-per-view main card is scheduled to begin at 11am AEST. As always with boxing, the exact main-event start time will depend on the length of the earlier fights. WHERE IS IT? The fight takes place at the famous T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. HOW TO WATCH? Romero vs Lopez will be available live on Kayo and Foxtel. MAIN CARD Rolly Romero vs Teofimo Lopez — WBA welterweight world title Yoenli Hernandez vs Francisco Daniel Veron — Middleweight Victor Santillan vs Antonio Russell — Interim WBA super-bantamweight title Carlos Utria vs Israel Mercado — Super-lightweight DESCRIBE THE MATCH-UP IN TWO SENTENCES Lopez is the more skilled and athletic fighter, with the speed and movement to give Romero nightmares. But Rolly has serious power and an awkward, unpredictable style that means he’s always dangerous. WHAT’S BEEN SAID? There has been no shortage of trash talk between the pair in the build-up, and things got testy at Friday’s final press conference. Lopez made it clear he believes there is a big gap between the pair -- only for Romero to interrupt with a jab of his own. “This guy is not even in my league,” Lopez said. “He won’t ever be in my league. He never was in my league. I think that’s the whole purpose of this thing, is for me to show everyone that. Just because he beat Ryan Garcia...” “You ever thought about having reconstructive surgery done to your face?” Romero interjected. “I’m not Ryan Garcia,” Lopez fired back. Romero repeated the line, but Lopez was having none of it, pointing to Romero’s 2022 knockout defeat to Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis as he delivered a final warning. “You can say all that. It’s all fun and games. You got the shirt off, showing your chest and everything. The same thing you did with ‘Tank’. The same thing. “I’ve seen all these things with you. You can say all what you want to say, smile. But it ain’t going to matter on Saturday night. “You can be all flashy now, but you know what it is. You know what you’re coming into.” SPARRING TRUTH EXPOSED One of the more interesting storylines heading into Sunday’s showdown is the fact Romero and Lopez have shared the ring before. The pair are former sparring partners, but exactly what happened behind closed doors has remained something of a mystery. Until now. Both fighters were hooked up to lie detector tests following Wednesday’s media workout and Romero was asked directly whether the rumours were true that Lopez had once got the better of him in sparring. “Yes,” Romero admitted emphatically. “In one session. But, yes.” The man administering the test then declared Romero “the most honest person that has ever been sitting in that chair”. Of course, Romero (17-2, 13 KOs) insists none of that will matter when the headgear comes off and his WBA title is on the line. Asked whether he would successfully defend his belt for the first time, Romero didn’t hesitate. “Yes,” he said bluntly. WHO ARE THE BIG NAMES ON THE UNDERCARD? The co-main event on Sunday night will feature an exciting talent at middleweight with Yoenli Hernandez facing the veteran Francisco Daniel Veron. Hernandez, who is ranked number one with the WBA and WBO, and number two by the WBC, is 10-0 (9 KOs) and is fast gaining a reputation for being a dangerous operator. His opponent Veron also enters this contest in a good run of form with a three-fight winning streak under his belt, his most recent victory coming in April against Raul Garcia. There is also an interim world title fight with Victor Santillan defending his WBA super bantamweight belt for the first time against Gary Antonio Russell. Santillan won the belt in February when he stopped Noel Reyes Cepeda in three rounds, whilst Russell, who comes from one of boxing’s renowned fighting families, is hoping to win his first major title at super bantamweight. ROMERO VS LOPEZ TALE OF THE TAPE Rolly Romero Nationality: American Age: 30 Height: 5’8” Reach: 68” Total fights: 19 Record: 17-2 (13 KOs) Teofimo Lopez Nationality: American Age: 28 Height: 5’9” Reach: 68½” Total fights: 24 Record: 22-2 (13 KOs) ROMERO VS LOPEZ ODDS Teofimo Lopez will enter Sunday’s world title showdown as a clear favourite with Sportsbet. ‘The Takeover’ is currently paying $1.42 to defeat Romero and become a three-division world champion, while the WBA welterweight champion is a $3.20 outsider to successfully defend his crown. The draw is paying $15. Odds (Sportsbet) Teofimo Lopez: $1.42 Rolly Romero: $3.20 Draw: $15 Parts of this story first appeared on DAZN News.