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“This Sport May Have Been Cleaner When the Mob Ran It”: Demanding ‘National Commission’, Teddy Atlas Launches Campaign Against Corruption Following Teofimo Lopez’s Controversial Win Over Jamaine Ortiz

Published 02/09/2024, 1:36 PM EST

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The much-anticipated clash between Teofimo Lopez and Jamaine Ortiz promised fireworks, with Ortiz’s pre-fight confidence setting the stage for an intense battle. However, despite early excitement, ‘The Takeover’ failed to effectively overcome Ortiz. Transitioning from an electric first round, where both fighters showcased elite movements, the fight quickly became a cat-and-mouse affair with no one coming out on top.

Jamaine Ortiz opted for a cautious approach, maintaining distance and relying on precise jabs and counter-punching. In contrast, Lopez, trying to close in the distance during the later rounds, kept pursuing without much luck. In the end, Lopez still ended up snatching the victory from Ortiz’s hands. However, it appears that Mike Tyson’s former coach, Teddy Atlas, is not the least bit impressed by either the fight or the results.

Teddy Atlas believes Jamaine Ortiz won against Teofimo Lopez

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Despite moments of brilliance from both fighters, the judges ultimately favored Teofimo Lopez, awarding him a unanimous decision with scores of 117-111, 115-113, 115-113. The boxing world is not happy with the result, especially Teddy Atlas. It is interesting to note that prior to the fight Atlas had hoped that Lopez would rise to the occasion, but alas that didn’t happen. However, Atlas had soundly predicted that Jamaine Ortiz would come out on top in the scorecards. Many in the boxing world agree that the ‘Technician’ should have been much higher on the scorecards, which didn’t happen. As a result, Atlas is pissed.

As the fight concluded, the video of Atlas predicting the fight took off on social media. In the video, Atlas stated that if Lopez took the fight seriously then there was no doubt regarding his victory. However, he had also pointed out that in the case Lopez didn’t do so then the chances of his victory were uncertain. The post on Twitter stated, This prediction from @TeddyAtlasReal looked like a bull’s eye… until the judge’s scorecards were presented. What do you think? Was Ortiz robbed?”

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Surprisingly, Atlas replied to the post and wrote, “Not saying either guy lit up the night, and I thought Ortiz won, but 117-111 Lopez? This sport may have been cleaner when the mob ran it. Sorry, frustrated and tired. Need a National Commission!! #LopezOrtiz #boxing. Sign our petition to end corruption in boxing.” Below the post, Atlas pasted a link to a website calling for the formation of a federal boxing commission that would put an “end to the corruption in boxing” as he put it.

On the website, Atlas urged his followers to “take a stand for the integrity & very existence of boxing, before there’s a final bell, for the fighters, and all of us.” It seems like the former ESPN commentator is finished with the shady dealings of the sanctioning bodies and the promoters. It’s interesting to see Atlas calling for a national commission and criticizing the promoters and judges for their decision to award the victory to Lopez. However, he is not alone.

Lou Di Bella and Dan Rafael question the decision

In the aftermath of the Lopez vs. Ortiz fight, sports writer Dan Rafael expressed bewilderment at Lopez’s tall claims in his post-fight interview, questioning the relevance of topics like the human race and pyramids. Rafael, sharing his perspective on the match, critiqued it as a “pile of cr*p fight” and contested Lopez’s call-out to Crawford. In another tweet, he stated, “I have Ortiz 116-112, outboxed Lopez, frustrated him all fight.”

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Prominent boxing promoter Lou Di Bella too came out to question Lopez’s victory, scoring the bout 7-5 in favor of Ortiz. He wrote, “He won … not exciting and UGLY, but I have Ortiz 7-5 and pretty clear i thought.”

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As the boxing community debates the controversial outcome, calls for scrutiny into the scoring have become louder, with critics emphasizing the need for transparency in the sport’s judging system.

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Written by:

Chirag Radhyan

2,057Articles

One take at a time

My passion for sweet science began at the tender age of 12, a gift from my father who introduced me to the legendary persona of Muhammad Ali. In my heart, 'The Rumble in the Jungle' still remains to be the pinnacle of sporting history. Over the years, my fervor for boxing remained intact, although life's commitments sometimes deviated me from being a hardcore fan of the sport.
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Edited by:

Gokul Pillai