Teofimo Lopez decisions Jamaine Ortiz in underwhelming spectacle
Teofimo Lopez sought to put on a ‘show’ for the first defence of his WBO super-lightweight title, but his opponent, Jamaine Ortiz, was less keen on appeasing the fans, resulting in a frustrating encounter, that was booed by those in attendance.
19-year-old super-lightweight prospect, Abdullah Mason (11-0) stole the headlines on the undercard, living up to his recent plaudits with a brutal ‘one-hitter-quitter’ knockout of the previously unbeaten Benjamin Gurment (8-0-3), just two rounds into their fight.
Meanwhile, Keyshawn Davis (9-0) looked every part for the ‘elite lightweight’ which he claimed he was against two-division world champion, Jose Pedraza (29-5-1), appearing comfortably from the word ‘go’ against the tough Puerto Rican before handing Pedraza a fourth straight outing without a win and a second career stoppage defeat via a sixth-round TKO. Davis then proceeded to call out headliner Lopez in his post-fight interview.
Then it was time for ‘The Takeover’ to take centre stage and that’s exactly what he did in his walkout, adopting the role of ‘The Showman’ in a circus themed ringwalk that featured juggling, sword swallowing and an elaborate top hat in true Las Vegas spirit.
However, when it came to the fight, both he and Jamaine Ortiz soon forgot about the eccentric antics of the WBO champion and got underway with a tense opening round, where Lopez came out as southpaw to the surprise of many.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN…
THE MOMENT YOU WAITED FOR. pic.twitter.com/ALs2GFWesJ
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) February 9, 2024
The plan of the challenger was clear from the opening bell, to allow Lopez to take the centre of the ring and use his impressive footwork to his advantage, dancing around the ropes and attempting to out-jab Teofimo Lopez on the outside and make him miss, and it appeared to work in the early rounds with Ortiz arguably winning each of the first three.
Yet, those tactics eventually became his downfall, as Ortiz’s reluctance to engage painted out Lopez as the aggressor in the contest, an opinion that was accounted for by all three judges and reflected on the scorecards in a controversial unanimous decision win (117-111, 115-113×2) that many fans felt Lopez was fortunate to get.
Reactions
Terence Crawford: “If we was to fight right now, on the streets, I would break your f***ing neck, and that’s on my kids. And you know it, I know it, and the whole world know it.”
Jamaine Ortiz: “I’ll have my team, my attorney, and we’ll look into that [117-111 scorecard]. Just thank you to all my fans, my friends, my family, everybody that came out; I’m happy that I came out healthy.”
Everything Boxing: “Jamaine Ortiz is robbed overning in Las Vegas, as Ortiz is considered a clear winner by most fans at the end of the fight, but somehow loses a 117-111, 115-113 x2 unanimous decision to Teofimo Lopez. Not the greatest fight to watch either.”
Many other reactions included calling the fight “a sparring session”, advising Teo to learn how to cut off a ring effectively, and how Terence Crawford would defeat Lopez easily in southpaw.