“I’m in a long line of media people that he feels have not given him as much credit as he gives himself,” Merchant said. “The fans saw what they saw: A sucker-punch ending a fight. Now, was Mayweather within his rights to throw it? Absolutely. Should he have? In my opinion, no.” Said Larry Merchant in an exclusive interview with ESPN Los Angeles, adding “It was a legal blow, but that’s not the way great champions do it.”
What was supposed to be a great night of boxing ended up being a sideshow that some believe was another black eye for a sport that has endured it’s share of lows. The fight between Mayweather and Ortiz only lasted 3.5 rounds and some fans are ok with the outcome? I don’t get it, I spent my hard earn money on this spectacle? don’t get me wrong it was quite entertaining in a TNT/WWF sort of way but I paid for a professional sport not for a summer slam type of wrestling match!
The fight started off pretty good, Mayweather was landing straight rights and using the ropes and his slick defense that he’s so famous for doing. Nothing special, these straight rights were not doing any damage to Ortiz as Ortiz kept pressing forward toward Mayweather. After three rounds, I had 2-1 for Mayweather. I gave Ortiz the second round.
Finally in the fourth Ortiz started to put the pressure on Mayweather, backing Mayweather up on the ropes and showing “Money” that Ortiz was the Bigger and stronger of the two. As Ortiz is throwing combos to a rope-a-dope Mayweather, Ortiz lunges forward with an intentional head butt!?
Cortez stops the action — but does not tell the fighter to go to a neutral corner — and Deducts one point from Ortiz. Immediately Ortiz proceeds to hug and kiss Mayweather — Who received a cut lip from the Ortiz head butt.
This is where the situation gets weird. After the hug/kiss from Ortiz, Mayweather backs off as Ortiz looks to a confused Cortez — who’s attention is outside the ring — for a time in. Just then here comes Mayweather with a left/right combo to an unsuspecting, defenseless Ortiz. Mayweather drops Ortiz, Cortez finishes a ten count and Mayweather wins.
While the “sucker-punch” was legal this IS NOT the way you want to see a prize fight end.
Ortiz showed how immature he still is as a fighter. Cortez showed his age and how he is no longer competent to referee a fight of this magnitude. Mayweather showed us what kind of champion he truly is. Someone who picks his opponents carefully to hang on to his record and his countless excuses on why he doesn’t fight true opposition. Mayweather also showed he doesn’t belong in the same vein as a Nonito Donaire, Manny Pacquiao or a Sergio Martinez because these fighters take on anybody and that is something Mayweather does not do because he is an opportunist.
