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Vasily Lomachenko made his first appearance of the year tonight, defeating Jamaine Ortiz. It was anything but an easy night for the former champion, and Ortiz showed that he is truly a great boxer with big things ahead of him.
When he entered the ring, the audience rose to their feet and greeted Lomachenko, but Ortiz was not afraid of that, but gave Lomachenko a truly competitive match, which he eventually lost by referee's decision. At the beginning of the fight, Ortiz was aggressive and moved well and worked with a front straight, which he used to cut the Ukrainian under the eye, which secured him the first round.
Ortiz's confidence grew and he continued in the second round, and given that he is known for his ability to create awkward angles, it was clear that he would not accept Lomachenko's game. He hit Lomachenko with a right straight and forced him to the ropes.
It was clear to Lomachenko that he had to change the rhythm of the fight, which he did, and to the delight of the fans, he became much more aggressive and forced Ortiz to retreat with powerful punches. Later, in the sixth round Ortiz took the wheel again and it seemed as if Lomachenko did not want to be there.
Instead he allowed the 26-year-old to dictate the action as he wished. In the later rounds, Lomachenko finally let go and rocked Ortiz in the tenth round. With a simple 1-2 combination, Lomachenko forced Ortiz to the ropes, but he managed to survive without falling.
In the last rounds, Lomachenko was the one who chased Ortiz around the ring, and the young boxer had a very difficult time and was unable to seriously threaten the Ukrainian. As for the judges' scorecards, the judges scored the fight 115-113, 116-112 and 117-111 in favor of Lomachenko, who managed to make his only appearance this year in his favor.
Vasily Lomachenko calls for a fight with Devin Haney
"Look, I'm ready," Lomachenko said. "I told you before I'm ready for any option." "That's what I like to hear," Haney said. "I took the risk and went over to Australia twice. ... We'll see how it goes in the negotiating."