Saturday’s lightweight fight between Vasyl Lomachenko and Jamaine Ortiz should be a match for boxing purists, writes Elliot Worsell
BRING his talent, Vasyl Lomachenko, in 2022, will likely make a splash with Madison Square Garden against a pound superstar for dominance in the newest of the many weight classes. in which he dipped his toe.
However, he will instead fight this Saturday (October 29) at the Madison Square Garden Theater against Jamaine Ortiz, an undefeated but mostly unproven prospect from Worcester, Massachusetts . This, Lomachenko’s 19th as a pro, was not necessarily a bad match, nor was it a match without intrigue, but it’s still fair to say Lomachenko deserved and probably demand better at this point, especially at his age (34).
Never a strong draw in the market even at the best of times, the wheels of the Lomachenko bus started to slow down in 2020, shortly after Teofimo Lopez beat him to the lightweight title his world. It’s seen as a fascinating fight going on, but most believe Lomachenko’s experience and comprehensive skill set will be enough to prove to Lopez that the opportunity has come soon for him. The fact that this didn’t happen was not only a shock to most people, but it also derailed Lomachenko somewhat, at least given that he’s a pound-for-pound star. He has since fought a few times, stopping Masayoshi Nakatani in nine rounds and over 12 years older than Richard Commey, but if there’s one boxer that needs improvement next year it’s the men’s plane coming. from Ukraine.
Indeed, the upcoming battle against Ortiz will be Lomachenko’s first in 2022, coming almost a year after his win over Commey. It is not ideal for any boxer, let alone 34 light weight, and moreover it is a pity not to be made by a quality operator who is definitely one of the the most beautiful people we have in sport today. We can only appreciate this – Lomachenko’s brilliance – once his career is over, sadly.
However, now that he has embarked on another title race, that can only be a good thing, and his next opponent, Ortiz, should also bring out the best in him. Known as “The Technician,” an almost blasphemous moniker when used in Lomachenko’s company, Ortiz was a promising, well-educated, active lightweight athlete. as a mainstream boxer or nampaw. He used both of those poses to good effect against Jamel Herring, a former WBO belt in the ultralightweight division, where in May Ortiz won 10 rounds by decision. That result alerted others to his potential and was also his second win this year, following a hot decision after another, this time against Nahir Albright, in September Two.
Also more active than Lomachenko, Ortiz is eight years his junior at 26 and is enjoying the fruits of his momentum right now, with the only bright spot in his 17-fight professional fighting record being the majority draw he scored against Joseph Adorno in April 2021 Ortiz was knocked out twice that night, once in the second inning and again in the seventh, but fought back very well. to make sure he remains undefeated.
Clearly, however, despite Ortiz’s potential and his recent form, there is a gap in class and experience between him and Lomachenko, 16-2 (11), which most people will expect to be demonstrated on Saturday night. In fact, one could even argue that Ortiz, while still unproven, ranks quite low on the list of opponents Lomachenko has faced and surpassed so far in his career. That might say more about Lomachenko’s level than Ortiz’s, but, in a way, it’s hard to see anything other than a broad Lomachenko win, possibly on the cards, when both their respective technical comparisons this weekend.
Supporting Lomachenko and Ortiz at the MSG Theater is a featherweight fight between talented Cubans Robeisy Ramírez and of Argentina Jose Matias Romerowho replaced Jessie Magdaleno, Ramírez’s original rival, when Magdaleno withdrew due to a hand injury.
This would be a simple enough task for Ramírez, 10-1 (6), who, like Lomachenko, is one of the best boxers on the planet, with little of Romero’s track record suggesting he would give it up. much in a potentially nasty way. At 26-2 (9), he is both experienced and persistent – never stopping – but clearly lacks the strength to threaten most opponents, especially qualified ones. quite, and has also been underwhelmed in the previous two trips to the US. The first to beat Romero was Isaac Cruz, who overtook him on 12 in March 2021, seven months later Michel Rivera did the same, this time over 10 innings.
Those trips to America have highlighted Romero’s limitations and, with this in mind, it’s hard to see Ramírez, a boxer superior to both Cruz and Rivera, struggle to do something similar, if not to say better, this weekend. He’s also on the upswing, Ramírez, with Eric Donovan’s eye-catching saves and Abraham Nova scoring this year, and it will be backing him to be the first to stop Romero if he does. found himself inspired to continue this knockout run in New York.
