Teofimo Lopez, the current holder of the WBO light welterweight title, has been excluded from Ring Magazine’s list of the top ten pound-for-pound fighters. This decision comes after his controversial victory over Jamaine Ortiz last week at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.
Ortiz, the challenger in the match, appeared to outperform Teofimo, showcasing his superior boxing skills by effectively maneuvering around the ring and landing more punches. Despite this, the judges’ scoring raised concerns, as Teofimo was declared the winner with scores of 117-111, 115-113, and 115-113.
The judgment of the judges was heavily criticized by fans on social media, who believed that Ortiz was the clear winner. They accused Teofimo of receiving preferential treatment due to his popularity, rather than earning the victory through his performance against the more skilled fighter.
This controversial win is not an isolated incident for Teofimo. In fact, his victories since 2020 have been a subject of debate. As a result, Ring Magazine has revised its pound-for-pound rankings, removing Teofimo from the list. The updated rankings now feature fighters such as Terence Crawford, Naoya Inoue, Oleksandr Usyk, Canelo Alvarez, Artur Beterbiev, Dmitry Bivol, Devin Haney, Errol Spence Jr., Gervonta Davis, and Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez.
Many argue that Teofimo should never have been included in Ring Magazine’s top ten pound-for-pound list in the first place, considering his controversial wins against Sandor Martin and Vasily Lomachenko. If we were to count those matches as losses, along with his defeat against George Kambosos Jr. in 2021, it becomes evident that Teofimo may not be the fighter that some boxing fans believed him to be. The victory over Lomachenko, in particular, was contentious and could have easily been a draw or a loss.
This situation highlights the need for better judging in boxing matches to avoid awarding undeserved victories to fighters. If the judges had made accurate decisions in 2020, Teofimo’s career trajectory may have been different, and he would have been just one of many contenders in the 140-pound division.
To dispel any doubts from fans, Teofimo should consider a rematch against Jamaine Ortiz. Additionally, he could face IBF champion Subriel Matias, known for his formidable skills, to prove that he is not afraid of tough opponents.
According to the Source boxingnews24.com