Former world champion Mikey Garcia is backing Rolando Romero to upset Teofimo Lopez in their upcoming welterweight fight on Saturday night. Garcia believes Lopez has lost the sharpness and hunger that previously earned him major titles at lightweight and light welterweight.
Stepping up to welterweight presents a new challenge for Lopez, but moving up in weight does not automatically bring back a fighter’s peak form. His defining career performances against Vasiliy Lomachenko at lightweight and Josh Taylor at light welterweight were built on dynamic footwork, sharp combinations, and relentless accuracy. Yet those attributes have appeared diminished in his most recent fights. Garcia notes that significant financial rewards and past titles can diminish a boxer’s drive, especially when removing the strain of making lower weight limits.
Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Garcia gave his view on the contest: “I think Rolly has a much better chance than people think. I’ve seen a lot of people say Teofimo, but they think Teofimo back at 135, the Teofimo of the early 140s,”
He added: “Lately, Teofimo hasn’t really shown me that earlier Teofimo when he fought Lomachenko, when he fought Josh Taylor. Maybe his dedication, maybe there are other things around that have distracted him. Maybe his hunger is not there as much as it was before.”
Romero, meanwhile, offers a clearer tactical plan following recent improvements in composure. Against Ryan Garcia, he boxed with patience instead of charging forward looking for a single knockout blow. After scoring a knockdown in that bout, Romero remained composed, avoiding the urge to rush in and expose himself to counters.
This disciplined approach could create significant problems for Lopez. Throughout his career, Lopez has found it difficult to generate sustained offense when opponents refuse to attack first and deny him clear counterpunching opportunities. If Romero maintains his distance and forces Lopez to take the initiative, the former two-division champion may end up waiting too long to throw punches.
Technical ability still rests with Lopez. However, relying on isolated counterpunches will not satisfy judges if Romero controls the tempo and volume. If Lopez hesitates to lead, Romero has a realistic path to outworking him and securing a major upset.
