Heading into his highly anticipated showdown against Vasiliy Lomachenko, Jamaine Ortiz, by and large, was summarily dismissed as an innocuous challenger.
Lomachenko, prior to their meeting on October 29th, stole the spotlight. After spending nearly one full year on his native soil of Ukraine, aiding their efforts in the ongoing Russian invasion, the 34-year-old became somewhat of a sentimental figure. Ortiz, mainly, was expected to provide the former multi-divisional world champion with nothing more than a simple tune-up on his way to an undisputed showdown against Devin Haney.
Still, regardless of his initial plans, Ortiz (16-1-1, 8 KOs) did his best to ruin them.
In front of a mostly pro-Lomachenko crowd in Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater, Ortiz fought masterfully. Seemingly flustered throughout, Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) would eventually steady the ship before winning a close but somewhat controversial unanimous decision.
While several notable names around the boxing globe have tipped their cap in Ortiz’s direction as a euphemism for respect, the highly ranked contender wasn’t surprised with his ability to rise to the occasion.
“A surprise to majority of the world, but for me just another day at work, don’t matter who’s at the office,” said Ortiz on his social media account.
With Lomachenko’s comeback complete, Bob Arum, his longtime promoter, will look to place him in the ring against Haney with every major world title at 135-pounds on the line. Ortiz, on the hand, having suffered defeat for the first time in his career, refuses to be despondent for a protracted amount of time.
Currently, with the lightweight division housing the likes of Shakur Stevenson, Gervonta Davis, Isaac Cruz, and countless others, the Puerto Rican native is anxious to continue his championship quest. Though his record has been sullied, Ortiz reveals that he’ll use what he recently learned in battle to bounce back.
“The comeback will be strong!”