Jamaine Ortiz didn’t think Teofimo Lopez would beat Josh Taylor.
Ortiz expected the Scottish southpaw to retain his WBO junior welterweight title when he opposed Lopez on June 10 in The Theater at Madison Square Garden, the same New York venue where Ortiz tested Vasiliy Lomachenko seven months earlier. Taylor entered the ring a 2-1 favorite that night, but Lopez’s upset established the former unified lightweight champion as the top champion in the 140-pound division, according to Ortiz.
“Right now, he is the guy,” Ortiz told BoxingScene.com. “He is the guy, and once I beat him, I’ll be the guy.”
In addition to Lopez, Devin Haney (WBC), Subriel Matias (IBF) and Rolly Romero (WBA) hold titles in the 140-pound weight class.
The 27-year-old Ortiz occupies a comparable underdog position entering their fight February 8 that Lopez held before he battled Taylor, who was undefeated and commonly considered the undisputed junior welterweight champion despite the fact that he had vacated the IBF, WBA and WBC belts. Lopez responded by outclassing Taylor (19-1, 13 KOs) and winning their 12-round bout unanimously.
Judge Benoit Roussel scored nine rounds for Lopez, who won 117-111 on his card. Judges Steve Gray and Joseph Pasquale scored seven rounds apiece for Lopez, who won by the same slimmer margin, 115-113, according to them.
“To be honest, I thought Josh Taylor was gonna be able to pull it out and beat him,” Ortiz recalled. “That’s what I was thinking, but Teo did the job. He got it done. … It was a good performance. I can’t say nothing less.”
Most handicappers have installed Lopez as a 7-1 favorite over Ortiz in what will be the first world title fight of Ortiz’s seven-year professional career. ESPN will televise the 12-round bout between Las Vegas’ Lopez (19-1, 13 KOs) and Ortiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs), of Worcester, Massachusetts, as a main event three nights before Super Bowl LVIII will be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, a short walk across I-15 from Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino’s Michelob ULTRA Arena.
“I think [a win] would bring my career where I always wanted it to be,” Ortiz said, “become a champion, beat a top-level fighter and go for all the big names and all the champions. I think it will put me on the map as a great fighter, one of the best fighters, and that’s what I’m looking to do February 8th.”
Ortiz will compete at the junior welterweight limit of 140 pounds for the first time in 4½ years when he opposes Lopez, who is 3-0 in 140-pound bouts. In addition to trying to win his first world title, Ortiz will also attempt to avenge a close loss to Lopez in the 132-pound final at the 2015 National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas.
“I think he’s a good fighter, obviously,” Ortiz said. “Can’t take that away from him. I like challenges, and I feel like a great fighter is gonna bring the best out of me February 8th, when I beat Teo.”
ESPN will air a 10-round bout between unbeaten lightweight Keyshawn Davis (9-0, 6 KOs, 1 NC), of Norfolk, Virginia, and Jose Pedraza (29-5-1, 14 KOs), a former junior lightweight and lightweight champ from Cidra, Puerto Rico, before Lopez defends his WBO belt against Ortiz. The network’s doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT) on a Thursday night.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.