Joe Cortez Responds To Critics Over Mayweather-Ortiz

(Original Article By Jhonny Gonzalez)


Referee Joe Cortez has received a lot of criticism from the fans and the boxing media, with nearly all of his critics being upset over the veteran referee's performance in last Saturday's controversial fight between Floyd Mayweather and Victor Ortiz at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. During the fourth round, Ortiz apologized to Mayweather for intentionally using his head. He hugged Mayweather when the foul was committed, and then Cortez took a point away from Ortiz.

After the point was taken away, Ortiz hugged Mayweathr again, but after Ortiz pulled away from their embrace - Mayweather landed two solid punches to knock Ortiz out. Afterwards, Ortiz made allegations that Cortez never told them to continue fighting, and that's why his hands were at his side when the punches from Mayweather connected.

A replay showed Cortez instructing the timekeeper to resume the clock, but there was never a point where he looked at both boxers and instructed them to continue fighting. Cortez denies this and says the inexperience of Ortiz cost him the fight.

"I had already ordered them to continue fighting and the clock was running, but Ortiz wanted to apologize again and he was off guard. Mayweather, who is more experienced, he took advantage, but did nothing illegal. Nowhere is there a rule that says the boxer has to apologize and hug the other fighter and do it at least two or three times. If you get ordered to fight and the clock is running, you have to fight. Ortiz's inexperience cost him the fight," Cortez told Les Jimenez.


Regards

Steffan

www.primetimelive.co.uk

Just retire, you're done. Jhonny Gonzalez needs to watch the fight if he didn't see him order them to continue fighting though.

I agree, Steffie's continuing copying and pasting has become tiresome

I saw this on Boxingscene.com, yes Cortez took his eyes of the prize but i think people are exaggerating what happened beyond reality.

I think Cortez's account sums up the incident quite well.

He should retire he's too old now. I'm sure he said ''Alright, lets go'' but then started staring at the timekeeper.

The Galveston Giant wrote:He should retire he's too old now. I'm sure he said ''Alright, lets go'' but then started staring at the timekeeper.

It's come out there was a hottie in the 2nd row....

Cordez instructed them to continue fighting, and Ortiz decided to try a hug and a kiss instead - agree with Cordez, Ortiz'z inexperience, and flouting of the rules, cost him the fight!

Counter argument is that if Cortez was doing his job properly there'd have been no confusion as to whether the fight had resumed.

There was no confusion surely - if you watched teh fight it was obvious instructed them to box on

The referee should be clear and unambiguos in his instructions. This should include verbal and visable instructions through gesturing. He should also not take his eyes off the action if he intends the two fighters to re-engage. I dont think Cortez did this clearly and his actions confused Ortiz, especially by turning away from the fighters to instruct the timekeeper. There was an element of naivety about Ortiz actions but I think a referee doing the job properly would not have seen this situation develop.

JDandfries wrote:There was no confusion surely - if you watched teh fight it was obvious instructed them to box on

Ortiz seemed pretty confused...

cortez should just give it up but its clear from what hes saying he has no intention to that.

Cortez is the last person who'll ever admit that he's done something wrong. In this instance he wasn't consistent in his resuming of the fight.

I've only seen the replay a few times and will watch it again but my early opinion is that Cortez didn't signal the restart clearly enough. His gestures could have been less faint and his attention fully on the fighters rather than clumsily divided between them and the timekeeper. The less controversial refs will not hesitate but make a clear separation of the fighters and then sweep their arms together as a sign to continue.

This fight has been marred by a shroud of inflated egos hellbent on not even considering criticism against them as classy people would and instead furiously trying to deflect that criticism onto other parties.

The ref was a joke have been saying it since the fight with Hatton. If it had been Ortiz that did that to Maywether when the ref asnt watching he would have disqualified him he is biased and should not be allowed to ref big fights.

Post match interview with Cortez: http://www.sportsgulp.net/?p=4086

Cortez is basically saying that when he called the fight back on ("let's go"), Ortiz went in for another round of hugging and kissing and the "mess" that followed was directly a consequence of that.

So Mayweather told Ortiz that the fight was back on?

I personally dont see the issue with what Floyd done. Ortiz turned it dirty and got flattened. I would personally do the same given the chance.

Nore Staat wrote:Post match interview with Cortez: http://www.sportsgulp.net/?p=4086

Cortez is basically saying that when he called the fight back on ("let's go"), Ortiz went in for another round of hugging and kissing and the "mess" that followed was directly a consequence of that.

Thanks mate

Scottrf wrote:So Mayweather told Ortiz that the fight was back on?

Yeah according to Cortez, Floyd said 'The referee said time is in. We're not going to be embracing again, we did that already the first time.'' Going to listen to the audio now.

The Galveston Giant wrote:

Scottrf wrote:So Mayweather told Ortiz that the fight was back on?

Yeah according to Cortez, Floyd said 'The referee said time is in. We're not going to be embracing again, we did that already the first time.'' Going to listen to the audio now.

I think it was more likely to be 'Get off me bitch'.

We're talking about a ref who gets introduced with a sobriquet.

A ref.

Trading off a nickname.

Says it all.

With an ego like that, no wonder he let Floyd run riot. They probably get along great.

He had no control over the situation and should be forced out.

Well he actually said to Ortiz "What is wrong with you man? Don't be doing that, don't be doing that"

So I'll surmise that he got Mayweather's words wrong too. You can't hear Mayweather because of Ricardo but he's speaking for about half a second.

TumblingDice wrote:We're talking about a ref who gets introduced with a sobriquet.

A ref.

Trading off a nickname.

Says it all.

With an ego like that, no wonder he let Floyd run riot. They probably get along great.

He had no control over the situation and should be forced out.

He has his own Joe Cortez bomber jacket too.

Scottrf wrote:

TumblingDice wrote:We're talking about a ref who gets introduced with a sobriquet.

A ref.

Trading off a nickname.

Says it all.

With an ego like that, no wonder he let Floyd run riot. They probably get along great.

He had no control over the situation and should be forced out.

He has his own Joe Cortez bomber jacket too.

You can see the glee in his face everytime he utters that disgraceful catchphrase of his.

For his fans:

https://2img.net/h/i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg165/Beckettboards/Listed/joecortez.jpg

Scottrf wrote:

TumblingDice wrote:We're talking about a ref who gets introduced with a sobriquet.

A ref.

Trading off a nickname.

Says it all.

With an ego like that, no wonder he let Floyd run riot. They probably get along great.

He had no control over the situation and should be forced out.

He has his own Joe Cortez bomber jacket too.

He must have a facebook fan page with official Fair But Firm merchandise.

tumbling... get with it. You don't need a facebook page when you have

www.fairbutfirm.com

his next project is branching into soft porn with 'bare butt firm'

think you mean firm but fair tumbling...
but in honesty the guy has a huge ego and it needs to get checked before he makes a proper disastor in the ring. one that affects a fighters livelihood.

When you have ego's the size of Buffer's, Cortez's, Merchant's and Mayweather's in the same hemisphere let alone the same arena, there's always going to be problems. Surely the ref's instructions should be made clear not only to the fighters but to those watching the fight as well.

Cortez has become a celebrity (in his own mind) and most people have forgotten that the best referee's are the one's who don't need to be involved. In fairness, the Alvarez/Gomez fight seemed to be halted prematurely too even though, like Mayweather/Ortiz, the end result was never really in doubt. Perhaps they need a complete overhaul of ALL referees, not just Cortez.

Yes, Mayweather was within his rights to continue fighting but for a man who was so clearly outclassing his opponent and would have continued to do so, it was a bit of a cheap shot. As mentioned elsewhere, Floyd's best reaction to being butted would have be to take Ortiz to school for another three or four rounds and try get him to quit.

BTW, if Cortez's refereeing is so bad, maybe we need to take his driver's licence off him as well. the man appears to be something of a liability.

the guy who stopped the fury fight did a poor stoppage also... seemed to be a poor night for the refs. to be fair though, guys with big egos generally have personality and the sport does need people like that to keep people talking although for it to be translated to our refs is bad.

Poor Joes been past it for a good while now. Whatever you make of the ending and whos fault it was, Cortez clearly showed no control or clarity when it mattered.

He should change his catchphrase to "I'm infirm to be fair"

paperbag_puncher wrote:Poor Joes been past it for a good while now. Whatever you make of the ending and whos fault it was, Cortez clearly showed no control or clarity when it mattered.

He should change his catchphrase to "I'm infirm to be fair"

Or "I need to go to the Infirmary, can someone lend me the bus fare?"

Speaking of old duffers who should be put out to pasture, I note that TRUSSMAN has been absent since the weekend, mind you given his prediction that Mayweather would be showing severe signs of ring rust, it makes sense that he'd hide away lest he be mocked mercilessly

baha i think we should perhaps throw that in a couple of times...

Going by what Joe says thats end of the story.
Mayweather wins and Ortiz was very very stupid. End Of.