Teofimo Lopez gives ringside reaction to controversial Vergil Ortiz vs. Fredrick Lawson stoppage by Tony Weeks

Vergil Ortiz Jr. made his boxing comeback earlier tonight by clinching a controversial first-round TKO win over Fredrick Lawson. While many have since raged on referee Tony Weeks for the stoppage being too early, Teofimo Lopez has made it clear that the victor is not to be blamed for the anticlimactic end.

In a ringside reaction given to DAZN boxing, the WBO super lightweight champion gave props to Ortiz Jr. for a credible performance while shielding his fellow pugilist from criticisms. He said:

"What a way to come back [in] 2024, I'll say that. We needed this. He needed to get the fundamentals back. I know the fans didn't like the stoppage, so to speak, but I think that did enough on his part. It's not Vergil's fault. Moving forward, I look forward to seeing him fight two more times this year."

Catch Teofimo Lopez's comments below:

After opening the bout fighting behind quicks jabs, a well-placed stiff jab from the American buckled Lawson's legs. Sensing the opportunity, Ortiz Jr. dialed up his output, forcing his opponent onto the corner against the ropes.

Once the 25-year-old started to tee off on the Ghanaian, his opponent did little in terms of offense and settled on just trying to defend and survive, prompting the referee to call a stop to the fight.

Numerous prominent figures in the combat sports community, including veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, have blasted the seemingly early stoppage.

Watch the stoppage below:

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Vergil Ortiz Jr. talks about the controversial stoppage

Texan boxer Vergil Ortiz Jr. improved his undefeated record to 20-0 with his TKO win over Fredric Lawson. However, he is a bit discontent with how the fight ended.

Speaking about the controversial stoppage, the super welterweight debutant claimed that he would've rather ended the bout with a clear knockout. During his post-fight media interaction, Ortiz Jr. said:

"I'm going to be honest. When I was in the ring. I was like, it's over already? I don't think it was the best offense, and as a fan, you're going to think so because you want to see the knockout... as a fighter who knew it was literally coming in the next few punches... I mean, he [the referee] saved him from a bad knockout."

Catch Vergil Ortiz Jr.'s comments below: