Teofimo Lopez Wins WBA Title, But Jack Catterall Is Next in Line

Teofimo Lopez is a three-division world champion again, but the paperwork is already chasing him. Lopez took the WBA welterweight belt off Rolando Romero by majority decision last weekend, a result that looked wider than the scorecards suggested, and now sits under a mandatory obligation with a hard deadline of November 19.

The man holding the ticket is Jack Catterall, a 33-2 (14 KO) Brit who picked up the WBA 'regular' strap against Shakhram Giyasov in May. Under the WBA's own terms, Catterall's shot at the full title is due within 180 days of that win — which puts the clock squarely on November. Lopez may want unification. The sanctioning body may not let him have it yet.

How Lopez Got Here

This was Lopez's first fight at 147, and his first outing since a wide unanimous-decision loss to Shakur Stevenson in January. Against Romero (17-2, 13 KO), he controlled most of the rounds despite getting seriously hurt by a right hand in the fifth. It was Romero's first defense of the title he'd taken off Ryan Garcia, and it didn't last long.

The Catterall Problem

Catterall wasted no time reminding everyone where he stands. He posted on Sunday that the politics of boxing don't scare him, that Romero's night was a voluntary defense, and that it's his turn now — no ducks, no swerving, him and Teo next. The math backs him up: the WBA granted Romero his grace period on the condition that its champion would face a mandatory within 180 days of Catterall-Giyasov.

Here's the snag Lopez has already flagged. He's talked up unification fights against WBO champ Devin Haney (33-0, 15 KO) and the winner of Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn. All of those are bigger money and bigger names than Catterall. On paper, though, the next fight belongs to the #9-ranked Brit.

Whether the WBA enforces its own ruling is the real question. Sanctioning bodies bend when the cash is right, and Lopez has more lucrative dance partners lined up. Catterall knows it too — that's exactly why he's making noise now, before the deadline slides quietly off the calendar.