BY: MELISSA PORTILLO – SPORTS ON AIR USA CORRESPONDENT
LAS VEGAS — Clad in a ringmaster’s robe, Teofimo Lopez had an elaborate ring walk that featured a sword and circus act that excited a robust crowd in attendance at the Mandalay Bay.
Unfortunately for fight fans, it turned out to be the highlight of the night.
Although Lopez went on to successfully thwart to challenge of Jamaine Cruz, their WBO junior welterweight showdown lacked the fireworks that fans expected to see when Lopez is atop the ring.
To his credit, Lopez attempted to put on a showunder the backdrop of the upcoming Super Bowl at nearby Allegiant Arena this Sunday, but Ortiz, atechnical amdelusive southpaw did not have an appetite to engage.
Lopez got the nod on all the judges’ scorecards —117-111, 115-113 and 115-113 — to bump his record to 20-1 with 13 KOs.
“These fighters don’t want to come and fight,” a frustrated Lopez said after the 12-round tussle. “If you ain’t ready for this life, get the f— out of my sport. I am a champion. I bleed for this and I sweat for this and I cry for this. Every time,” he added.
The punch stat told the tale of a fight that was tepid in action– 78 landed shots byLopez and 80 for Ortiz, who chose to keep his distance by parryingLopez with a stif jab. It was a good strategy, but it didn;t do him any favors in the scorecards,
Ortiz’s record fell to 17-2-1 with 8 knockouts.
Obiously, this wasn’t the kind of fight that made Lopez a household name following his conquest of Vasyl Lomachenko in an October 2020 brawl at the MGM Grand on the famous Las Vegas strip.
Ortiz, 27, made a lot of headlines when he took Lomachenko to the scorecards in a tight battle last October 2022. But just like that battle, he didn’t do enough to edge Lopez.
It’s nack to the drawing board for Ortiz as he navigates his way back to top contention.
For Lopez, it’s off to bigger, and hopefully, more entertaining fights.
