Teofimo Lopez returns to the ring to tangle with spoiler Jamaine Ortiz

WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez (19-1, 13 KOs) is set to make his 2024 ring debut when he takes on Massachusetts’s Jamaine Ortiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs) during Super Bowl week in Vegas. 

The fight is 3 days before the Super Bowl so to say that’s a busy sports week in “Sin City” is a huge understatement.

Lopez turned pro in 2016 and has been in the win column in all but one of his 20 bouts. He was a perfect 20-0 in his first 4 years as a pro displaying skills and power in one highlight reel win after another.

In 2020, he outboxed Vasyl Lomachenko, picking up the world lightweight title in a huge win. However, in a surprising upset, he dropped an SD loss to Australia’s George Kombosos in 2021 in his first title defense. 

Most saw the Kombosos fight as an easy victory before moving on to big-name, marquee bouts. However, Kombosos didn’t get the memo and shocked the boxing world with the win. 

Since the lightweight title loss, Lopez banked 2 wins in 2022. Then, this past June in New York, he redeemed himself with a huge win over Scotland’s talented Josh Taylor to pick up the WBO 140-pound strap.

As for Ortiz, back in 2022, in his most impressive performances, he gave Lomachenko a tough night and beat former world champion Jamel Herring. However, while Ortiz is tough and talented, if Lopez is on his game, he shouldn’t have a lot of problems.

In recent interviews, Lopez made it clear he is coming to win, and win impressively.

"Jamaine is tough. I would know, because I faced him back in the amateur days in 2015 for the National Golden Gloves Championship," Lopez said. "I’ll show the world that champions don’t flinch when faced with challenges. They rise and shine the brightest when the stakes are highest. This one is for all my people on ‘The Takeover Express’. Let’s show the world once again what real boxing looks like", said the always-confident champion.

But, not so fast, claims Ortiz.

"I can do a lot of things in the ring that people haven’t seen yet. People are going to see what I can do in there. When the opposition is better, I fight better”, he said.  

And while he respected Lopez as a talented champion, Ortiz indeed believes it’s his night to shine.

"I think I’m more athletic and have more speed than Teofimo. I have a better jab and movement. I have a lot of advantages that will show when we fight," he said. "I’m ready to be world champion. I demanded the big fights, and this is a big fight. I’m here to build a legacy in the sport, and this is a legacy fight."

A Lopez victory sets the stage for a lot of intriguing fights at junior welterweight. An Ortiz upset puts him right in the mix with the big names.

Folks, we have a fight on our hands. The 140-pound fun kicks off on February 8.