Promoter Bob Arum expressed his dissatisfaction with last Thursday’s match between WBO light welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez and Jamaine Ortiz, labeling it as “extremely disappointing.” The fight took place during Super Bowl week at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. While many fans on social media found the fight to be lackluster, there was a prevailing sentiment that it was an outright robbery. Teofimo was exposed once again, and it was believed that Jamaine should have won by a margin of six to ten rounds against the ineffective WBO 140-lb champion.
Instead of assigning blame solely to the judges and Jamaine for the outcome, Arum should critically assess Teofimo’s performance and come to the realization that he is not as skilled as presumed. Arum’s attempts to manipulate the fight’s results by blaming Jamaine for Teofimo’s shortcomings are futile, as fans are not easily fooled. Arum needs to acknowledge this and sever ties with Teofimo.
Fans possess the ability to recognize a subpar fighter when they see one, and Teofimo’s performance was nothing short of abysmal. Arum should seriously consider parting ways with Teo, as he lacks the talent necessary to compete against the best in the division. Furthermore, it appears that Teofimo is mentally unraveling, further diminishing his prospects.
Arum, who serves as Teofimo’s promoter and is striving to transform him into a pay-per-view sensation, described the fight as “disgraceful.” Arum expressed his disappointment, stating, “It was truly terrible. We have organized significant fights in the past, and Teofimo has always been a formidable warrior.” Arum placed blame on Jamaine Ortiz for Teofimo’s lackluster performance, asserting that his evasive tactics throughout the fight were not reflective of true boxing. Arum questioned the scoring of the officials, believing that Ortiz should have been awarded no more than two or three rounds. He deemed the entire affair to be disgraceful.
Arum’s remarks regarding Jamaine’s performance against Teofimo indicate that the latter’s future with Top Rank may be in jeopardy unless he alters his fighting style to be more aggressive and entertaining. However, if Arum intends to criticize Jamaine for his lack of excitement in the ring, he should extend the same critique to Shakur Stevenson and Keyshawn Davis.
According to the Source boxingnews24.com