THE RESULT: No doubt a result many will debate, in the end Teofimo Lopez defeated Jamaine Ortiz tonight (February 8) in Las Vegas by unanimous decision (117-111, 115-113, and 115-113). That, however, tells only half the story, with many of the belief Ortiz did enough to win and therefore take Lopez’s WBO super-lightweight belt.
KEY MOMENTS: There was one key moment in round four which kind of encapsulated Lopez’s attitude and performance overall tonight. Keen, it seemed, for the elusive Ortiz to engage with him, he backed up into a neutral corner and invited his challenger to join him there. This of course Ortiz did, needing no second invitation, at which point Lopez found himself under attack and nowhere near as defensively sound as he liked to believe. Indeed, Ortiz landed a short right hand, as well as some hard body shots, and it wasn’t long before Lopez then wanted to hold on and move away.
RECORDS: Lopez, 26, moves to 20-1 (13), whereas Ortiz, 27, drops to 17-2-1 (8).
TALKING POINT: As always with Lopez, the talk will be of unfulfilled potential and of him once again flattering to deceive. For whether you think he did enough to beat Ortiz or not tonight, one thing is clear: Lopez is a fighter vulnerable to defeat whenever he sets foot in the ring and seemingly more vulnerable when facing opponents he is expected to handily beat. That is to say, while Lopez can look a million dollars against someone like Josh Taylor, whom many backed to have his number last year, you will find either side of that win performances like this one and the one he produced against Sandor Martin in 2022, which was another fight many felt he lost.
QUOTABLE: Addressing his “humans” in a rather bizarre post-fight speech, Lopez said: “We cannot for one second claim that these fighters who don’t want to come and fight… You go to blood sweat and tears. The three codes of conduct. The Sugar Ray Robinson award. If you ain’t ready for this life, get the f**k out of my sport. I am a champion. I bleed for this. I sweat for this and I cry for this every time.”
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: Make no mistake, there will be no shortage of potential opponents for Lopez, that’s for sure. One possible foe is Rolando Romero, the WBA super-lightweight belt-holder who fights Isaac Cruz on March 30. Another, meanwhile, is Terence Crawford, who Lopez not only called out before facing Ortiz but said he was “serious” about fighting in the future. That, on tonight’s evidence, might be a foolish challenge to chase, however. Then again, with Lopez, it could end up being just the challenge he needs.
