Worcester’s Jamaine Ortiz set to put undefeated mark on the line in title fight on ESPN
WORCESTER — Jamaine “The Technician” Ortiz has been to Polar Park a handful of moments due to the fact the gem with a diamond opened final 12 months.
The 26-calendar year-old Worcester native, who holds a pair of light-weight championship boxing belts, was on the mound Wednesday afternoon to toss out a ceremonial very first pitch as a “hometown hero” just before a Worcester Pink Sox sport for the next time in 10 months.
The ball was on target – as was the situation in August – and so was Ortiz with his ideas on the park.
“I appreciate the ambiance and it’s a lovely stadium,” Ortiz mentioned.
So a great deal so, he’d love to headline a fight card sometime at Polar Park.
That’s a likelihood for down the street (although see more below). In the meantime, Ortiz’s overall look served as an chance to mirror on his hottest victory and announce his up coming combat.
Ortiz enhanced to 15–1 (8 KOs) with a 10-round unanimous decision more than beforehand undefeated Nahir Albright for the NABF light-weight championship at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida, in mid-February.
“I feel really very good about my final battle,” the 2014 Doherty Superior graduate stated. “I did what I desired to do. Make improvements to, resolve the faults from my earlier battle, demonstrate that I’m far better and mature in the ring, and do what I have to do to get the W.”
That bout was broadcast on Showtime. Now, Ortiz will showcase his competencies on one more national cable network.
The 5-foot-8, 135-pounder will set his NABF light-weight belt on the line and fight for the vacant USBA title towards completed veteran Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring in the co-principal event May 21 at the Resorts Environment Party Center in Las Vegas. It’ll be televised reside on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+.
So, that’s a pairing of the globe money of boxing and the around the world leader in sporting activities.
“Now that you set it in that point of view, yeah, most surely (major time),” Ortiz said.
Herring, 36, was the reigning WBO world tremendous featherweight champion right up until dropping by complex knockout in Oct. The one-time light-weight, who is 23-3 (11 KOs) and promoted by Best Rank, will shift up from the 130-pound class to meet up with Ortiz.
This will mark the fourth straight fight Ortiz has had outside the house New England. He fought in Los Angeles in 2020 and Central Florida in ’21 and ’22.
Obtaining close to is one thing Ortiz is Alright with, possessing developed up in Good Brook Valley, Vernon Hill, Grafton Hill, and Tatnuck Square amid other locales in Worcester.
“I’m nonetheless going,” he mentioned with a chuckle. “I just can’t continue to be however. I never know, I just remain shifting.”
Ortiz has entered the ring at the time in his hometown as a pro, notching a TKO at the Palladium on Feb. 28, 2020.
Promoter Jimmy Burchfield of Rhode Island-based CES Boxing, would love to see his rapid-rising fighter phase via the ropes in a ring set up at Polar Park. And, as pointed out, so would Ortiz.
“That’s what I want to do – I want to market the area out,” Ortiz said. “Besides currently being a world winner boxer, I want to be equipped to market out arenas and be that domestic identify. That’s the subsequent move. Of course, I have the endeavor in front of me, which is what I’m targeted on.
“But on the back close, I’m performing on putting my name out there so everybody is familiar with who Jermaine “The Technician” Ortiz is and having admirers in these seats and producing it entertaining more than enough exactly where men and women want to occur and view.”
And for a person who was a superior-field, no-strike shortstop through the calendar year or two he performed Minimal League, that was very the first pitch toward bringing boxing to Polar Park.
Get in touch with Loaded Garven at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @RichGarvenTG.
This article at first appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester boxer Jamaine Ortiz set to put undefeated mark on the line in title struggle on ESPN – is Polar Park bout on horizon?