Their friendship will be put aside, though, on Saturday when Romero defends his WBA welterweight title against him in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions card.

Romero (17-2, 13 KOs) is defending his title for the first time after a 15-month layoff. The Las Vegas native won a unanimous decision over Ryan Garcia for the interim title in 2025. Romero, 30, was elevated to full champion later that year after Jaron “Boots” Ennis moved up to 154 pounds and vacated the belt.

Lopez (22-2, 13 KOs) is seeking to become a three-division champion in his first fight at welterweight. The 29-year-old New York native lost The Ring and WBO 140-pound titles in a one-sided unanimous decision against Shakur Stevenson on January 31.

The picks are in from The Ring’s Mike Coppinger. Think you can beat him? Predict winners for prizes.

THEY SAID IT

Romero: “We sparred nine years ago. We’re both two completely different fighters than we were then. ... This is a moment for me to make my legacy.”

Lopez: “I’ve known Rolly for over 10 years. We’ve been to each other’s homes. All that is out the window come Saturday night. We’re gonna hit each other and look for a knockout. That’s the main goal.”

Lopez is a clear favorite. DraftKings Sportsbook has Lopez at -260, while Romero is +200.

Lopez winning by decision is -125, while a KO, TKO or DQ victory is +400. Romero boasts +350 odds to win by decision, while winning by KO, TKO or DQ is +700.

Yoenli Hernandez (10-0, 9 KOs) is the most high-profile and promising fighter underneath the main event.

Hernandez, The Ring’s No. 2 middleweight contender, faces Argentina’s Francisco Daniel Veron (17-1-1, 10 KOs) in a 10-round bout. The Camaguey, Cuba, native is ranked No. 1 by the WBA and WBO, No. 2 by the WBC and No. 10 by the IBF.

Gary Antonio Russell (21-1, 13 KOs) ends a year-long layoff when he faces Victor Santillan (16-2, 7 KOs) in a 12-round junior featherweight bout, and Colombian junior welterweight prospect Carlos Utria (14-0, 11 KOs) faces Israel Mercado (13-1-2, 7 KOs) in a 10-round fight.

T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas

DAZN PPV and Prime PPV (8 p.m. ET)