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Rolly Romero, Teofimo Lopez respectful but tension was there at the presser
Normally, a fight promotion involves animosity of some sort. Reasons are sometimes known. Sometimes they are not.
In the case of Rolly Romero and Teofimo Lopez at Thursday's press conference to promote their Aug. 22 DAZN PPV headliner, the exchanges were friendly, but there was an underlying tension between the two.
Things started early when Romero was talking, and Lopez's father, Teofimo Sr., was going back and forth. Teofimo Sr. said that after the two had trained in the past, they stopped hearing from Romero after he lost to Gervonta Davis in May 2022. As the presser went on, the talk was calm, and the tension seemed to have soothed. Lopez provided a different account.
"We are kinda like beating around the bush of it," Lopez said of the animosity. "The time is up. We got to fight each other. We got to settle it in the ring. That’s why it’s a real man’s sport. If you got problems, you settle it in the boxing ring."
The cool, calm, and collected Romero (17-2, 13 KOs) appeared to have a different perspective. Although it was hard to tell with Romero's sarcasm throughout the press conference, which included the WBA welterweight champion receiving a duck stuffed animal from Lopez that the native of Las Vegas quipped was WBO champion, Devin Haney.
"Me and Teo ain’t friends," Romero said. "He’s my little brother at the end of it. If I’m to lose this belt or to defend my belt, I’d rather have it be with him than anyone else. Only God knows what’s going to happen."
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