By Vince Dwriter: Tonight is the night for lightweight contender Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz (16-0-1, 8 KOs) as he prepares to share the ring with Vasiliy Lomachenko, a man who is a former world champion in three different weight classes. The fight will take place tonight in the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.
(Credit: Mikey Williams (Top Rank via Getty Images)
Ortiz collected the biggest win of his boxing career in May 2022 when he defeated former WBO junior lightweight champion Jamel Herring. Now Ortiz is on the verge of stepping up to the next level by upgrading his competition and going from a good opponent to a master boxer.
The vast majority of the boxing public believes the bout that will take place tonight in the Hulu Theater will be a routine victory for Vasiliy Lomachenko. Throughout the promotion of the fight, Lomachenko has hinted at pursuing a title match against undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney.
Judging by his actions, Lomachenko sees Ortiz as a tune-up type of opponent. Boxing fans and boxing pundits are most likely viewing this matchup the same way as Lomachenko, but the silver lining for Jamaine Ortiz is the fact that there is a blueprint in regards to defeating Lomachenko.
The Ukrainian lightweight is one of the superstars in the sport of boxing, but out of 18 total fights, Lomachenko has suffered two losses. One loss came at the hands of current 140-pound contender Teofimo Lopez, but Lomachenko’s first professional loss was to Orlando Salido, a man who has a career boxing record of (44-14-4, 31 KOs).
The one common strategy that both Lopez and Salido executed was the concept of banking the early rounds against Vasiliy Lomachenko. Teofimo Lopez was able to work off his jab to get into position to land his right hand, while Orlando Salido used pure aggression that placed Lomachenko in an uncomfortable position.
The only way Jamaine Ortiz can upset Lomachenko is by banking the early rounds of the fight. Lomachenko is traditionally a slow starter, as he uses a few rounds to download information and calculate the required range and distance.
It is imperative that Ortiz wins the early rounds by working off his jab and using his hand speed and footwork to land sharp combinations. If Ortiz can win the early rounds as he did against Herring, he will place Lomachenko in the position of needing to orchestrate a comeback victory.
The 26-year-old Jamaine Ortiz is the overwhelming underdog, but he has a path to victory. Ortiz must use his athleticism to win the early rounds, and after Lomachenko gets warmed up, he must find a way to steal a few rounds during the second half of the fight.
The game plan for Ortiz is easier said than done, but Teofimo Lopez and Orlando Salido have already proven the fact that the mission is hard, but it isn’t impossible.
