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Mike CoppingerESPN
Vasiliy Lomachenko scored a unanimous decision victory over Jamaine Ortiz in a much tougher fight than expected for him Saturday night at the Hulu Theater in New York at MSG.
The win gives Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) a chance to meet a potential next year with undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney.
Ortiz (16-1-1, 8 KOs), a much weaker underdog, took control in the first half of the 135-pound round thanks to his athletic prowess, size, and superior stroke, but Lomachenko took control. Gather down tension to win tight scramble.
The judges gave it a score of 115-113, 116-112 and 117-111.
Lomachenko, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and former three-division champion, fought for the first time in 10 months. The 34-year-old former heavyweight champion agreed to a deal to travel to Australia to fight in June against then-lightweight champion George Kambosos but was chosen to stay in war-torn Ukraine with his family.
In Lomachenko’s place, Haney secured a deal for two games against Kambosos in Melbourne and emerged with all four lightweight titles. Haney, 23, from Las Vegas, was on hand to witness the return of Lomachenko, who struggled in the first six rounds.
“I think it wasn’t the best performance,” said Haney, who entered the ring later for an interview with Lomachenko. “I hope we can do it.”
“I’ll be ready,” said Lomachenko, whose face is swollen with a large scar under his right eye.
For at least the first half of the match, the prospect of a summit meeting between Haney and Lomachenko seemed to have disappeared. Ortiz, a little-known 26-year-old from Worcester, Mass., scored a decisive goal against Jamel Herring in May and turned the upset win into the biggest opportunity of his career.
Ortiz (16-1-1, 8 KOs) set up a blazing fast pace from the opening bell, doubling and tripling on the shot to keep Lomachenko at bay. With the leading hand interrupting his rhythm, Lomachenko couldn’t create the kind of angle that would take him to the pinnacle of the sport.
They continued to fight fiercely, and sometimes when Lomachenko found an opening, Ortiz dissuaded him by digging a right hand into the body. But as he usually does, Lomachenko found second gear in the second half of the game, just as Ortiz was slowing down in his first 12 innings.
Lomachenko (17-2, 11 KOs) started to find home for his lightning-fast synergies and destroyed Ortiz’s face with sharp right hooks and tackles. Lomachenko won the last six innings on two of three scorecards to secure victory in a match that featured multiple frames that were difficult to score.
“I thought I won the fight,” Ortiz said. “What’s the decision. I think this will be my night.”
But that’s not the case, although Ortiz certainly improved his inventory in defeat. He is not expected to threaten victory and will certainly secure himself another meaningful fight next year.
Lomachenko, meanwhile, admits he has to be more aggressive if he is to hit his best form. His first battle since a decisive victory over Richard Commey in December 2021, a dismissal due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
If Lomachenko were to fight Haney – another bigger, muscular and perhaps the sport’s best hitter – he would have to fight on a whole different level. On Saturday, he did just enough to maintain his position and advance to the negotiating table for a fight that could achieve his ultimate dream of becoming the undisputed champion.
“The deciding match in lightweight is Haney vs. Lomachenko, and we will do everything we can to create the undisputed championship match that all match fans want to see,” said Top Rank President. Bob Arum said. “They’re the world’s top lightweight devices, and it’s going to be a great battle.”
