By Dan Ambrose: In a move that leaves one scratching their head and wondering why, Golden Boy Promotions reportedly have chosen #10 IBF welterweight contender Josesito Lopez (29-4, 17 KO’s) to step in and fight former WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KO’s) in the main event of the June 23rd card at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. I see this as an ESPN2 level fight, not something that should be shown on Showtime.

Lopez, 27, will be replacing the well known former IBF/WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto, who allegedly tested positive for the steroid Nandrolone and won’t be able to take the fight with Ortiz. What makes Lopez such a poor choice, besides the fact that he’s not well known at all among casual boxing fans, is that Lopez is coming off of a loss in his last fight against Mayweather Promotions fighter Jesse Vargas last September. Of course, Ortiz also is coming off of a loss of his own on the same card in a 4th round TKO loss to Mayweather.

For a main event fight like this one you’d like to see Ortiz face someone well known, especially when the fight is being televised on Showtime. It’s one thing having one fighter coming off of a loss, but when you got BOTH fighters coming off of a loss and headlining a show that will be televised nationwide in the United States, that’s kind of a turn off. Of course, only the hardcore boxing fans will be aware of this fact. The casual fans won’t have a clue, but the casual also won’t have a clue who Lopez is, and I can’t imagine this fight bringing in good ratings or anything close to good ratings. I think Golden Boy would have been better off canceling the entire card if this is the best they can come up with.

Showtime has approved of Lopez as the choice, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.

I think they need o flip the card around and make the co-feature between Lucas Matthysse and Humberto Soto the main event and have the Ortiz vs. Lopez as the co-feature, because that’s the kind of fight I see this.

Lopez isn’t even a welterweight. He’s been fighting at 140, and I wasn’t impressed at all in seeing him lose to a limited fighter in Jesse Vargas last September. He looked like a decent fringe contender at best, but that’s about it. Why couldn’t actual welterweight be found to face Ortiz rather than Lopez? It just reeks of a mismatch in size, power and ability. Lopez isn’t a huge puncher and is more of a volume guy. He’s going to get run over in this fight.