In the neon-lit heart of Vegas, inside the bustling Michelob ULTRA Arena, Teofimo Lopez managed to cling to his WBO and Ring Magazine junior welterweight titles after a bout with Jamaine Ortiz that’s got fans crying foul. The official verdict was a unanimous decision in Lopez’s favor, but whispers and shouts alike are calling it a heist against Ortiz.
Lopez was all about the charge, trying to steamroll his way through, while Ortiz played it cool, preferring to dodge and weave, making actual clashes as rare as a quiet night in Vegas.
Ortiz, flipping the script, fought as a southpaw, using nimble footwork and sharp jabs to keep Lopez at bay, who, despite his efforts to dominate, seemed to chase shadows more than land solid punches, particularly as the rounds ticked by.
The plot thickened in round seven with a head clash that left Ortiz sporting a fresh cut, slowing him down a tad. Yet, he didn’t back down, continuing to snipe from a safe distance as Lopez tried to ramp up the pressure.
The judges scored the fight 117-111 and 115-113 (twice) for Lopez, a decision that raised eyebrows, especially considering how Lopez seemed to sweep the last three rounds across all scorecards.
Lopez, unfazed by the controversy, talked up his performance and even threw out a challenge to Terence Crawford, while dismissing up-and-comer Keyshawn Davis’s credentials. Ortiz, on the other hand, stood firm in his belief that he outboxed Lopez, lamenting the decision but vowing to regroup and aim for the title once more. The noise around this fight suggests that many believe Ortiz deserved the nod, making this “victory” for Lopez a topic of heated debate rather than a clear-cut triumph.
