Teofimo Lopez defeats Jamaine Ortiz in a Controversial Decision
via badlefthook.com
WBO Junior Welterweight and lineal Junior Welterweight Champion Teofimo Lopez was able to just barely outpoint Jamaine Ortiz in their Thursday night bout, but it was not without controversy. Many fighters and journalists on X expressed their disagreement with the unanimous decision in favor of Lopez, and how Ortiz was seemingly able to frustrate and outbox Lopez throughout the 12 round bout.
Undisputed Welterweight Champion and current pound-for-pound king, Terence Crawford also expressed his thoughts on the fight and that casual fans are unable to understand when a fighter is running away or sticking and moving.
From the beginning of the evening, it was evident that Lopez was hellbent on making this a spectacle rather than just another boxing match. He arrived to the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas wearing a Deadpool costume and had a smirk on his face that made it seem he knew something that the rest of us did not.
Not only this, during his entrance to the ring, he was accompanied by an entire circus … literally. This entrance featured sword swallowers, people on stilts, clowns, and much more. Lopez himself was dressed up as Hugh Jackman in The Great Showman, complete with a top hat and a ringmaster’s outfit.
Despite the obscurity of these theatrics, it did not seem that Lopez was as focused as his opponent. Ortiz was stoic and collected all night as he looked to become a world champion. Although the decision did not go the way he wanted, he certainly was able to outbox and outland Lopez in body shots, jabs, and power punches over 12 rounds. In addition to having the perfect antidote to Lopez’s forward pressure by sticking, moving, and making Lopez miss.
Although this was a flat performance on all accounts from Lopez, he is still the WBO Junior Welterweight Champion. He called out Terence Crawford, which is a very bold move after looking the way he did on Thursday night. It will be intriguing to see whether or not this fight will be made after the lackluster performance Lopez had.
