The PressBox

With most eyes this weekend on Super Bowl 58 held for the first time in Las Vegas, USA, big time boxing takes a back seat there, and likely worldwide. 

For this reason a tasty fistic world title showdown takes place, unusually on a Thursday (tonight February 8), in the same city, at the Michelob ULTRA Arena, Mandalay Bay resort and casino.

Talented American-Honduran Teofimo Lopez Jnr. (19-1, 13 KOs) faces Jamaine Ortiz (17-1-1, 8 KOs) in defence of his WBO and Ring magazine junior-welterweight titles over 12 rounds.

At yesterday’s weigh-in both came in at 139.6 lbs, four ounces within the divisional limit and with barbs exchanged pre-fight a tasty encounter is expected. One particular interested observer will be former undisputed ten stone (140 lbs) champion Josh Taylor whom Lopez ripped the titles off in June 2023. Added spice in the division is provided by undefeated American Devin Haney who holds the other belts. Potential superfights await, pending tonight’s outcome.

Lopez, at age 26, has the double Olympic champion and former undisputed lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko on his resume and followed this up with his defeat of Taylor in the higher weight class. He was co-Ring magazine ‘Fighter of the Year’ with Tyson Fury in 2020 so his pedigree is solid. He has though been prone to periods of inactivity and disillusion with the sport. For now he appears to have his appetite back.

Lopez, a New Yorker, defeated the now 27 year old Ortiz as an amateur but the challenger has compiled a good record as a pro since. It should be a feisty and competitive fight, but if Lopez is switched on, he should win comfortably. When he’s good, he’s very good.

The chief support is promising and world ranked USA Olympian Keyshawn Davis (9-0, 6 KOs) who faces former ‘world’ champion and now ‘gatekeeper’ Jose Pedraza (29-5-1, 14 KOs) over 10 rounds at lightweight (9st 9lbs/135 lbs). Davis is exceptionally talented and has the charisma to match.

Pedraza, from Puerto Rico is well decorated and tested, but well in the twilight of his career. He’s mixed in good company and will provide a stern test for the American, establishing where Davis is at.

Davis, a product of Norfolk, in the state of Virginia (former home of hall-of-famer Pernell Whitaker) has all the tools to reach some of the heights that Whitaker reached, but at age 24 he needs to switch on and realise ‘the time is now’. He should though win comfortably when he catches up with the elusive Pedraza. If successful, again, for Davis, big fights await in the talented lightweight division.

The event promoted by Top Rank inc. will be shown live on Sky Sports Arena in UK from 01:30 GMT (Friday) and on ESPN in USA. Both main event and chief support are well worth a watch.