Referee Joe Cortez says he gave the signal and Victor Ortiz, Floyd Mayweather know the rules – Boxing news
The Puerto Rican boxing referee, Joe Cortez, who was officiating during in the Floyd Mayweather versus Victor Ortiz bout, has claimed he made the signal to fight and Ortiz cannot make any excuses.
Victor ‘the Vicious’ Ortiz was controversially knocked out in the fourth round by the five-division world champion and the current World Boxing Council World Welterweight Champion, Floyd Mayweather, last Saturday on September 17, 2011 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ortiz, in frustration, head-butted Mayweather in the earlier stages of the fourth round and was docked a point. However, later on the Garden City warrior went on and hugged his opponent as an apology.
After the hug, Cortez made the call to fight but Ortiz felt he needed to give Mayweather a hug, which proved to be a big mistake. Mayweather allowed Ortiz to hug him but at the same time launched a left hook to Ortiz’s face followed by another right which knocked out the 24-year-old.
Though Cortez admitted it was a legal sucker punch from Mayweather, he stated he made the signal and Ortiz should have kept the rules in his mind.
"All week, I had been warned about Mayweather being dirty," Cortez said. "Victor's people kept telling me to watch out for this and that. And then Victor did that. He is such a nice kid. It was so out of character."
“I made the signal," he said. "You don't have to say anything. These guys know the rules."
"Victor made two mistakes," Cortez said. "His first one was being a bad boy, and his second one was being too much of a good boy."
Critics have other bones to pick with the referee. For example, Ortiz was knocked out when there were only a few seconds left in the fourth round. Therefore many think that there was not enough time left in the round for Ortiz to be counted out. Cortez has responded to this by saying the bell cannot save any boxer from being counted out and this is a pretty old rule in the sport.
"You can't be saved by the bell anymore," Cortez said. "That's a rule from the old days of boxing."
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