Teofimo Lopez promised to put on a show. Jamaine Ortiz is a respected fighter with a ton of skills and has earned a shot at Lopez’s WBO and Ring Magazine titles but actually winning? That was practically impossible according to Lopez.
This past Thursday, the 26-year-old made an over-the-top and theatrical entrance. Magicians, fire breathers, sword eaters, and every notable circus figure made an appearance. They dazzled the Las Vegas crowd and forced them to stand on their feet. Lopez though, sat them back down.
He may have done his best to force the action and push the pace, but Lopez found it damn near impossible to land anything of substance on Ortiz. As the seconds melted off the clock, fans grew incredibly impatient. They booed mercilessly and wanted to see more action. So did Lopez.
At one point, Lopez stood in the center of the ring and egged the crowd on. He also waved in the direction of Ortiz and wanted him to become aggressive. When it was all said and done, Lopez got the result he was looking for, a unanimous decision win. The crowd, however, wasn’t happy.
Boo’s cascaded on Lopez and permeated throughout the arena. He couldn’t care less though. He buoyantly grabbed his two titles and held them up high before walking out of the ring.
It was the first defense of his junior middleweight throne and Lopez doesn’t expect it to be his last. But before he begins the search for a new opponent, he’s reflecting on why the fans weren’t pleased with his performance.
Lopez is a deep thinker. He sat in his locker room and thought to himself. After doing so, he believes he knows why fans and his peers were critical of him.
“They hate ’cause I’m great,” said Lopez immediately after. “They hate ’cause I’m great.”