Rolly Romero and Teofimo Lopez went face to face Thursday at a tense final press conference in Las Vegas, two days before Romero makes the first defense of his WBA welterweight world title against Lopez at T-Mobile Arena, headlining a PBC pay-per-view available on DAZN and Prime Video.

The two longtime friends promised to set that friendship aside when the fight begins Saturday, and the buildup grew heated as they argued over the details of their shared history. Tensions nearly boiled over between the two camps as well, with insults thrown across the stage between Romero’s trainer Ismael Salas and Lopez’s father and trainer, Teofimo Lopez Sr.

Romero (17-2, 13 KOs) and Lopez (22-2, 13 KOs) have known each other since their amateur days and sparred before Lopez turned professional, a history both men have leaned on throughout the promotion, dating back to the launch press conference in Los Angeles, where Romero called Lopez his little brother. On Thursday, in quotes distributed by the promotion, Romero made clear where that relationship ends.

“You ever punch someone you loved in the face? If they give me a hundred million dollars I’ll punch my dad in the face right now,” Romero said. “The friendship doesn’t matter to me at all when the bell rings.”

“I know he didn’t want to take this fight, but I’m thankful he took it. It’s gonna be a great show on Saturday night. Don’t miss it,” he said. “I tried to fight everybody else, all the top guys. I wanted a big fight and this is the only guy who stepped up.”

Romero also reached for a piece of welterweight history. “They talk about the four kings? They’re four queens and I’m a black knight. I’m gonna show everyone on Saturday night.”

The champion revisited his record against the top names he has faced, including his 2023 stoppage loss to Gervonta Davis at 140 pounds.

“I won the whole fight against Ryan Garcia and I was winning the whole fight against ‘Tank’ Davis too and he hit me with one shot,” Romero said. “I wasn’t even supposed to be at that weight anymore. Now I’m at my natural weight and everyone sees what I can do.”

Lopez, who is making his debut at 147 pounds and can become a three-division champion with a win, swung between dismissing Romero and praising him.

“This guy is not in my league. He never was in my league and he never will be,” Lopez said. Moments later, he offered a different assessment. “Rolly and I go way back. We’ve known each other since the amateurs. We’ve shared a lot of rounds in the ring, and now we’re here 10 years later. He’s the best fighter at 147 and the hardest puncher. I’m the type of guy who goes after those challenges.”

“I’m determined, I’m ready and I’m focused on this fight. I know what it takes. He’s a heavy-handed fighter and he’s smart. He’s gotten better throughout the years. Any punch could end this fight, literally,” Lopez said.

The sparring history, which Romero addressed at Wednesday’s media workout by claiming he was doing Lopez a favor before his pro debut, drew a direct response from the challenger.

“All the times we sparred, I took it light on you. We’re not gonna do that anymore. I’m gonna put you down. It’s time,” Lopez said.

“Saturday night friendship goes out the window. This is about the dream of being the best in the sport. We’re here to put on a show,” he said. “Right now I’m just focused on climbing the ladder. I’m laser focused. I’m just staying on course and ready to do what I need to do. We’re gonna let our hands do most of the talking.”

Lopez lost his WBO junior welterweight title to Shakur Stevenson by wide decision in January, a fight Boxing Insider covered here, and enters Saturday having signed an exclusive multi-fight agreement with DAZN through his Takeover Promotions banner.

Despite the fireworks between the fighters, Salas struck a measured tone when he took the microphone. “It’s such a pleasure to be here. I’ve always admired Teofimo and his family, but the time has come and it’s time to fight,” he said. “I actually think this fight is going to be like a chess match. Let’s see who can place the pieces in the right position and come out with the win. May the best man win.”

Lopez Sr. was less diplomatic. “This fight sells itself. We have two great fighters at 147 pounds. I’m just here to guide my son like always. He’s gonna be a three-time world champion come Saturday. I have no doubt about that,” he said. “Rolly comes to fight, but my son is too technical, too smart and too strong for Rolly.”

Britton Hardin, DAZN’s head of boxing for North America, addressed the friendship storyline directly. “When you think about friends who fight in this sport, you either get a classic or a sparring match. But these guys’ sparring matches are classics. I’m really excited to see how this unfolds on Saturday night,” Hardin said. “These guys are both talking about legacy. They’re talking about being in the Hall of Fame. They’re talking about undisputed at 147 pounds. They want to join that legacy of great welterweight champions.”

TGB Promotions president Tom Brown pointed to the pay-per-view undercard, which Boxing Insider detailed when it was announced. “It’s been a real fun promotion, but now it’s time to put up or shut up,” Brown said. “You’re gonna want to be in your seats early on Saturday night. There are a number of rising stars who are looking to break out on this undercard.”

In the co-main event, unbeaten middleweight Yoenli Hernandez faces Argentina’s Francisco Daniel Veron over 10 rounds. Hernandez, who traded words with Veron at Wednesday’s workout, took a quieter approach Thursday.

“I’m not here to prove anything. I don’t need to. I came here to win on August 22,” Hernandez said. “I don’t need to showcase anything. I need to get this win and keep moving toward those world title fights. I’m not aiming for any specific fighter. All I want are the belts. Whoever has the belts is who I want to face.”

Veron kept his focus on his preparation. “I want everyone to know that I’m here to represent Argentina. We have a great legacy to uphold and that’s exactly what I’m gonna do,” he said. “His power remains to be seen. We’re gonna see inside the ring. We’re going to try to out box him and see what the fight brings. We’ll be ready to adjust on the fly.”

Interim WBA super bantamweight champion Victor Santillan meets Gary Antonio Russell in a 12-round bout, and both men claimed to have seen holes in the other’s game.

“I’m here to prove that Dominican boxing is at its best right now. We’re not gonna stop until we get to the top,” Santillan said. “He really shows his cards whenever you’re on top of him. He doesn’t really know what to do. That’s what I see.”

“Victor is a good tough opponent. He stays disciplined behind his jab,” Russell said. “I see very easily how he can be exposed. We’re just gonna capitalize on our game plan. I’m real anxious to get this belt. I’m ready to get back in the ring and stay active. It’s all been leading up to this.”

The pay-per-view opens at 8 p.m. ET with Colombia’s Carlos Utria, who is making his United States debut, against super lightweight contender Israel Mercado over 10 rounds.

“I’m here and ready to represent Colombia. My country has been going through a rough time, but I’m here to show that Colombians are resilient. I’m going to show that resiliency on Saturday night,” Utria said.

“This is an undefeated opponent, but I’m here to make a statement. I’m gonna expose him on Saturday,” Mercado said. “Every time I face an undefeated fighter, I prevail and come through. This time around, I’m gonna make sure it doesn’t go to the judges hands. He’s an explosive fighter, but he’s inexperienced. I believe I’m gonna capitalize on that.”

The event is promoted by TGB Promotions in association with Takeover Promotions. Tickets are on sale through AXS.