Technically Speaking, Jamaine Ortiz is a Lightweight with a Heavy Upside

Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz is a 25-year-old lightweight from Worcester, Mass. He is 15-0-1 with 8 knockouts. Ortiz picked up the vacant NABF title on a recent ShoBox card, defeating Nahir Albright by unanimous ten-round decision on Friday February 18th in Orlando, Florida.

It was an entertaining scrap for sure.

“I showed my maturity,” said Ortiz afterwards.

“I was cautious in the beginning. I didn’t want to get caught like I did in my last fight.”

Ortiz was coming off a hugely entertaining 2021 draw on ESPN against touted prospect Joseph Adorno. Ortiz was bloodied early and knocked to the canvas in the second round from a left hook. He then took another 10-8 round in the seventh when he ate a left uppercut that almost put him out of the ring. Ortiz recovered and it was dramatic stuff as blood poured from his nose.

That outstanding 8-round bout was hosted on a Top Rank promoted show in Kissimmee, Florida. Some say it was the best fight of the whole night. And that Ortiz deserved the win.

Andre Ward felt Ortiz “outworked” Adorno.

Jamaine showed me he’s got some heart.

That wasn’t the first time Ortiz stole the show so to speak. In 2020, he scored an entertaining seventh round technical knockout of Sulaiman Segawa on the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. PPV undercard in LA. The “Technician” was seen by the masses and they liked what they saw.

When I watch Ortiz box, I see a switch-hitting fighter who uses a busy jab, good footwork, and upper body movement to avoid punches. He’s not a big puncher but he’s naturally aggressive.

He’s also in great shape.

With a TV-friendly style like his, Ortiz could go far. Or lose in spectacular fashion. Leaving behind the friendly confines of his promoter’s promotional homebase (Lincoln, Rhode Island) in 2020, Ortiz is now fighting on the road and gradually increasing the level of his competition.

He’s a prospect on the cusp of contendership.

As a young amateur, Ortiz once defeated Edgar Berlanga and competed with future stars Teofimo Lopez and Jaron “Boots” Ennis, going 100-14 in the unpaid ranks. Promoted by Jimmy Burchfield since he turned pro in 2016, Ortiz has accrued 77 rounds of professional experience.

Trained by Rockyson Gonzalez, Ortiz should tighten up his defense before challenging elite competition. He often holds his hands low and has a tendency to get hit. Ortiz sometimes looks like Arturo Gatti inside the ring because his defensive liabilities collide with his natural instincts.

Outside of the ring, Jamaine is the product of Puerto Rican and Dominican parents. He was born and raised in Worcester and now has a young daughter of his own. When Ortiz was young, his mother brought him to the local Boys & Girls club where he took up boxing in the basement.

Boxrec rates him as the 30th best lightweight in a loaded glamor division currently headed by George Kambosos, Vasyl Lomachenko, Gervonta Davis, Teofimo Lopez, and Devin Haney.

Who does Ortiz want next (rematch with Teo?) and could he soon challenge the top-rated guys? Claiming to have held his own, Ortiz sparred with Lomachenko last year and credits the experience with reinforcing his belief that he can in fact, compete with the elites at lightweight.

When George Kambosos upset Teofimo Lopez last year for the world lightweight championship, Ortiz used social media to shout out a challenge to the new champ, saying, “Everybody is calling out Kambosos, it’s only right for me to be in the mix. First defense against me champ!”

It only makes sense.

Ortiz is focused on securing a title elimination bout and winning the world title at 135 pounds. After the ShoBox win against Albright, Ortiz called out undefeated loudmouth Rolly Romero.

“He’s just a big puncher with a big name.”

Romero (the wannabe ‘Macho’ Camacho of his day) acquired his “big name” last year when he was scheduled to challenge Gervonta Davis but instead found himself accused of sexual assault. No charges were ever filed and Davis defended his WBA title against Isaac Cruz.

“That would be an easy fight. Rolly can’t box.”

Jamaine Ortiz is in the lightweight mix.

“I’m anxious to fight,” says Jamaine. “I’m an entertaining fighter. Always have been. There’s nothing boring about my style.”

Photo credit: Amanda Westcott / SHOWTIME

Boxing Writer Jeffrey Freeman grew up in the City of Champions, Brockton, Massachusetts from 1973 to 1987, during the Marvelous career of Marvin Hagler. JFree then lived in Lowell, Mass during the best years of Irish Micky Ward’s illustrious career. A former member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and a Bernie Award Winner in the Category of Feature Story Under 1500 Words. Freeman Covers Boxing for the Sweet Science in New England.

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