Teofimo Lopez wins controversial decision over Jamaine Ortiz: Does he still have it?
The judges scored the contest 115-113, 115-113 and 117-111 in favour of Lopez
In the build-up to his fight last night with Jamaine Ortiz, Teofimo Lopez was a man exuding confidence.
Fresh off a phenomenal performance against Josh Taylor to capture the WBO Super Lightweight Championship, Lopez’s mojo was well and truly back.
And the fickle boxing community suddenly forgot about Teo’s upset loss to George Kambosos Jr and his split decision victory over Sandor Martin when he famously questioned ‘Do I still have it?’ after the contest was finished.
Instead, ‘The Takeover’ was remembered as the man to defeat the legendary Vasyl Lomachenko and become a unified lightweight champion at just 23 years old.
The man ranked as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world with punching power, hand speed, superb counterpunching, and outstanding boxing IQ.
Then, like a phoenix rising from the ashes, Lopez started to believe his own hype again.
But this time to a greater extent than before.
When he called out Devin Haney no eyebrows were raised. To many, these are the two best 140-pounders on the planet and with each holding a world title, a unification contest would make financial sense for everyone.
Two young guys, both coming off excellent victories and to some a genuine 50-50, Haney-Lopez seemed like a no-brainer.
However, when Lopez mentioned Terence Crawford, alarm bells started to ring.
Crawford is widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world after destroying Errol Spence last July in Las Vegas.
And of course, ‘Bud’ has been competing at 147 lbs since 2018 whereas Lopez has never weighed in higher than 140.
In such a brutal sport you can’t blame anyone for chasing the biggest payday possible coupled with the most adulation.
Although when you’re preparing to face someone as young, ambitious, and game as Ortiz, it’s not smart to begin overlooking your opponent while assuming victory is a foregone conclusion.
Funny enough, Devin Haney’s father, Bill Haney actually warned Lopez in the lead-up to the Ortiz bout, stating ‘You need to concentrate!’
It’s like Bill could sense that Lopez was acting far too complacent and was worried that a poor performance could scupper a potential mega-fight with his son Devin.
Well, Lopez got the win, but to say his stock has fallen again is an understatement.
Meanwhile, Haney is set to face Ryan Garcia on April 20th and if he emerges victorious, he will be the A-side in every bout at super lightweight except arguably against Gervonta Davis.
Regardless, was it just another bad night at the office for Lopez? Did he severely underestimate the capabilities of Ortiz?
First of all, Lopez-Ortiz wasn’t a classic.
Ortiz was an awkward target from the first bell to the last and Teo did not know how to deal with it.
Yet similar to when Erislandy Lara ‘ran’ from Canelo Alvarez all the way back in 2014 and lost via split decision, Ortiz still landed his fair share of punches.
According to CompuBox, Ortiz landed a total of 160 punches whereas Lopez landed a total of 156 punches.
Obviously, CompuBox doesn’t take into account the effectiveness of punches, but the stats do show this was at least a close fight and this was echoed by two judges who both scored the contest 115-113 in Lopez’s favour.
This sentiment wasn’t shared by the other judge though, who had it much wider for ‘The Takeover’ at 117-111, prompting online backlash and disbelief from Ortiz
“117-111, I don’t think nobody would agree with that. Either way, him or me. 117-111 is just ridiculous,” said Ortiz in his post-fight interview.
In the meantime, after almost shedding tears in the ring, Lopez shifted the blame onto Ortiz for an unimpressive performance and a dull spectacle.
Lopez said: “We cannot for one-second claim these people, these fighters that don’t want to come and fight. You go to blood, sweat, and tears.
“The three codes of conduct, Sugar Ray Robinson award. If you ain't ready for this life, get the f*** out of my sport. I am a champion. I bleed for this, I sweat for this and I cry for this every time.”
Unfortunately for Lopez, the likes of Shakur Stevenson, Crawford, Gervonta Davis, and Haney also weren’t overly impressed with some implying on X that he was lucky to get the decision.
Crawford of all people was particularly brutal with his assessment of Lopez’s performance.
But the question remains, does Teo still have it?
In a nutshell, styles make fights and irrespective of his potential complacency, this isn’t the first time Lopez has struggled against someone who was not willing to come forward and present counter-punching opportunities.
So this latest victory may just reiterate what Lopez needs to work on, which is cutting the ring off and landing on opponents who are more elusive or supposedly don’t come to fight.
Still, one thing is for sure. In a tight affair against some of the biggest names in boxing, Lopez is less likely to get the rub of the green from the judges.
Therefore, whether you think Lopez deserved to defeat Ortiz or if you think he was fortunate to get the decision, luck eventually runs out and only the elite-level fighters make the necessary adjustments to reign supreme.
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About Daniele D’Alessio: Over the last few years Dan has written hundreds of articles for websites such as GiveMeSport, Sportskeeda, WorldInSport, NY Fights and Fights ATW in addition to conducting several interviews with professional and amateur boxers.
A few observations. I don't think Teofimo has it together mentally, despite his newfound energy. In the ring, he struggles with a particular style and the best movers will take advantage of that. Ortiz made him miss but didn't make him pay. At the end his stamina wilted and he ran a lot. Bad day at the office for Lopez all round.