At the post-fight press conference, the new champion dismissed the possibility of a second meeting. Lopez instead wants the winner of Ryan Garcia versus Conor Benn before pursuing fights with WBC champion Devin Haney and IBF champion Liam Paro.
Romero believes the scoring denied him a victory after he cut Lopez and hurt him several times.
“I never get a fair shake, and it’s apparent. I clearly outboxed him. I cut him. I hurt him multiple times. It’s clear as day, I deserve a rematch. Honestly, that decision was self-explanatory,” Romero said in comments shared by The Ring.
The physical evidence supports part of his complaint. Lopez was cut above his right eye, knocked off balance by a left hook in the fifth round and caught with a looping right hand. Romero also buckled his knees later in the contest.
Those isolated attacks were not enough to overcome Romero’s inactivity. Lopez moved forward behind his jab and worked the body while Romero spent long periods waiting for a counter. One judge scored it 114-114, with the others favoring Lopez 115-113 and 116-112.
His grievance now extends beyond the scorecards. Romero selected Lopez when he was free to face someone else, only to be denied the same opportunity after losing the belt.
That does not mean Lopez will reconsider. Garcia, Benn, Haney and Paro offer championship or financial opportunities that Romero cannot presently match. Without a contractual rematch clause, his request depends entirely on Lopez agreeing to another fight, and he has no leverage to force one.
