CES Boxing and Top Rank are kicking off the new year with a sizzling showdown, proudly rolling out the red carpet for a junior welterweight clash featuring WBO and Ring magazine champ Teofimo Lopez (19-1, 13 KOs) squaring off against the ring wizard, top contender Jamaine Ortiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs).
“Teofimo Lopez is a titan among pugilists, always hungry for a worthy opponent,” quipped Top Rank’s head honcho Bob Arum. “And who better than Jamaine Ortiz? A ring magician in his own right.”
Tagged as “The Showman Returns,” this spectacle is set to erupt on Thursday, February 8, broadcasting live on ESPN amidst the Super Bowl frenzy, straight from the glitzy Michelob Ultra Arena in Sin City.
“We’re jumping out of our skin to give Jamaine this shot,” declared CES Boxing’s pioneer Jimmy Burchfield, Sr. “He’s got the chops, the heart, and the grit to topple a tough champ like Teofimo. Jamaine’s been chomping at the bit for this, and I’m betting he’ll strut out of that ring wearing the crown.”
“I’m pumped to duke it out for the world title,” Ortiz beamed. “It’s been a marathon, but I’m geared up to haul that belt back to Massachusetts.”
This scrap marks Lopez’s first stand since snagging the titles at the iconic Madison Square Garden’s Theater last June.
“Come February 8 at Mandalay Bay, I’ll light up the ring, The Takeover style,” Lopez boasted. “I’ve tangled with Jamaine before in our salad days. I’m planning to not just beat but break down Ortiz, sending a thunderous message to my division. Champions like me? We don’t blink at challenges; we blaze brighter when the heat’s on.”
Indeed, these two aren’t strangers. Both Latin American pugilists from the East Coast, they first crossed gloves back in 2015, vying for the National Golden Gloves title. Lopez clinched that fight, setting the stage for their pro journeys in the lightweight ring.
Their paths are eerily similar – both have danced with the legendary Vasyl Lomachenko. Lopez nabbed a 12-round victory over “The Matrix” in October 2020, lifting the IBF, WBA, and WBO lightweight belts. Ortiz, on the other hand, narrowly missed the mark against Lomachenko, in a bout the Ukrainian admitted pushed him to his limits.
Both warriors then ascended to the junior welterweight realm. Lopez boasts a 3-0 record at this weight, his crowning moment being last June’s stellar win over Josh Taylor for the WBO and Ring junior welterweight titles. Ortiz followed suit, stepping up 3 months later and clinching a win over the seasoned Antonio Moran.
The stage is set: two of the world’s elite junior welterweights, locked in a destined duel.
“This is boxing in its purest form,” exclaimed Burchfield, Sr. “Two prime fighters, each a proud standard-bearer of their roots. It’s a boxing fan’s dream.”
Ortiz, a Worcester native with Puerto Rican and Dominican roots, is a boxing virtuoso with notable wins over ex-world champ Jamel Herring and the formidable Nahir Albright for the NABF title, not to mention the seasoned Moran.
Facing him is Lopez, a Brooklyn-born fighter with Honduran lineage. At 26, he’s already toppled three world champs – Commey, Lomachenko, and Taylor.
Lopez, bouncing back from a lightweight title loss to George Kambosos, Jr., silenced doubters with his commanding win over Taylor at Madison Square Garden Theater last year.
“This one’s for all my Takeover Express fans,” Lopez declared. “Time to show the world the art of true boxing.”
Ortiz is itching for a peak-form Lopez, eager to unveil his own ring mastery.
“This fight’s a game-changer for me,” The Technician confessed. “I’m set to unleash my best and return as the new champ.”
