Jamaine Ortiz debuts new aggressive style, smashes Cristian Mino in four

Jamaine Ortiz entered his 10-round bout against Cristian Mino on Friday night promising an explosive performance.

He delivered on his promise at at Caribe Royale in Orlando, Fla., knocking down Mino in every round to score the stoppage victory at the 2:00 mark of the fourth.

“The Technician” Ortiz put the disappointment of his close points loss to WBO junior welterweight titleholder Teofimo Lopez in February behind him, walking down the noticeably smaller Mino from the opening bell and mixing up his attack to the body and head.

Late in the first frame, Ortiz rocked “Piedrita” Mino with a right hand upstairs before pummeling the 27-year-old Argentinean journeyman to the canvas.

Things didn’t improve for Mino in the second when he was decked again, this time from a body shot. Mino boxed to survive the rest of the round, but it only looked like a matter of time.

It was all Ortiz in the third as he continued to pour on the pressure. Mino simply didn’t have the power, the skill or the accuracy to keep Ortiz off him. With little more than 30 seconds to go in the round, Mino found himself on the canvas again, this time courtesy of a three-punch combination. He got to his feet with blood pouring from his nose.

Frustration was beginning to show with Mino in the fourth when he picked up Ortiz around the waist and body-slammed him to the canvas. It cost him a point from referee Michael DeJesus.

The fight didn’t last much longer. Ortiz continued to back Mino up, sending him down for the fourth and final time with a left hook to the head followed by a left hook to the body.

It was a confidence-building win for Ortiz against an overmatched opponent.

“I was surprised he kept getting up, but I came in knowing was going to be tough. I hear them Argentineans are tough, so I was expecting nothing less, ” said the 28-year-old Ortiz from Worcester, Massachusetts at the conclusion of the DAZN telecast.

“This performance was a good performance. I give it a B. I’m always a hard critic on myself, but this is just a forewarning for all these other 140s in the division.”

Ortiz’s primary target is WBA junior welterweight titleholder Jose ‘Rayo’ Valenzuela (14-2, 9 KOs).

“Rayo is the champ at 140 right now and that’s who I’m coming after,” Ortiz said. “It’s just a fair warning that every performance after this is going to look just like that.

“I’m just waiting for that world title to come, that opportunity that I know is going to come soon. I’ll be a world champion real soon.

“Right now, Rayo is on top of my hit list. Also [IBF titleholder Liam] Paro, Richardson Hitchins, I know he’s fighting for a world title too. If he comes away with a victory, I’d like to fight him. And I’d love to run it back with Teofimo Lopez.”

After his victory tonight, Ortiz raises his record to 18-2 with nine knockouts, while Mino falls to 24-10-2 with 17 knockouts.