You know Cortez was not in control of that fight because he was looking the wrong directon and having a conversation with someone at ringside when the punches that ended the fight landed! I'm not saying he didn't call for action to restart but you must see the contradiction when you call for action yet are not paying attendtion. It may not have changed the outcome of the fight but who can say for sure?
Of all the great fighters, very few retired undefeated and no one really cares about a loss or two at the tail end of a great fighter's career. Who gives a s*** that Ali lost to Holmes or that SRL lost to Comancho? A cloud often hangs over the legacy of fighters that do retire undefeated like Marciano, Calzaghe etc. How can you tell if you have reached your potential until you lose?
The fight is still a possibility, Peterson didn't kill it for me. What sucks now is that both promotional companies most likely won't come together to make it.
If Petersen goes through with the rematch and they manage to find a neutral ref Khan will have his titles back soon enough. Then we can find out if Bradley's balls shrink again.
Please tell me why Naseem Hamed shouldn't have got the hype he did...
How was Hatton over-hyped.... the guy only lost two fights, one to Floyd (Cortez) above his normal 140lb division and the other to Manny. If you aren't allowed to lose to the top two pound 4 pound who can you lose to?
He never got stick for putting his titles on the line, he's getting stick for the amateurish performance and fouling while trying to land a fight with one of the biggest guys in boxing.
I dont remember seeing Khan get any stick for putting his titles on the line across the border.
Maybe you can link to the thread where this is happening?
NOONE has given Khan stick for putting his titles on the line, but you seem to be forgetting that Khan paid no respect for Peterson and thought he was going to walk right through him so in reality, Khan didn't even think he was taking any risks.
Instead he ended up getting exposed slightly, looking amateurish and losing due to lack of answer to Petersons pressure outside of fouling.
Props to the guy for putting up his belts out of town sure, but lets not pretend he was taking this for anything more than a walk in the park, as opposed to a "big risk".
You guys are really getting a little but excited about this alleged fouling. That ref was seriously on Khan's case from the start, his eyes were locked on him constantly. A couple of pushes is hardly justification to deduct two points. Tyson only got two points deducted for biting a third of Holyfield's ear off! With another ref this 'fouling' would not even have been an issue post fight and the actual fight would have flowed alot better.
I'm mad whenever I'm looking forward to a fight and discover cortez is the ref he always without fail does something to irritate me.
He tries to be the centre of attention by constantly making his presence felt - annoys the hell out of me. Nevermind being incompetant. Most fights I watch, I couildn't even tell you who the referss was, that's when you know it was done right.
Mora was the worst referee I've ever seen, by far. Whether he was biased, corrupt, or a blind moron, I don't know, but his performance was inexcusable.
How about Alfredo Garcia?
And there isn't a super middleweight on the planet those guys haven't or wouldn't give trouble.
Direll fought so negatively he would of made anybody look complete sh1t.
Kessler & Froch was a great fight that could of gone either way.
Taylor is a great fighter that was edging a close fight between the two before getting stopped.
There is no shame in losing or having a close fight with any of those guys, two of which Froch won (I thought he edged Kessler as well) two of the three was F.O.T.Y candidates.
Froch don't box enough, believe me when he opts to box, he's got tools. Don't sleep on The cobra's boxing ability.
No shame in having a good fight with any of those guys... quite right, just my reasoning as to why Ward is the favourite. I'm not counting Froch out but then I'm not putting any money on him either if you know what I mean. That's the joy of boxing, you never know.
It seems he's always on Floyd's d1ck... I'm fair but I'm firm my ass he's a stupid ref to have now IMO
If that happens you know the fix is in. Of the hundreds of competant, potential referees why choose a guy who has recently turned everything he touches to s**t to officiate the biggest fight in years.
I dont get it. The guy is tough as you like, has an awesome chin, keeps himself in hsape so have great stamina, when he decides to box he looks really good with a sick jab and good boxing fundermentals add to this he has a huge heart and hits really ahrd and you have one tough SOB.
Ward is very overated. He ahs a decent resume but i feel Froch's is so much better. So ward beate Kessler...... He headbutted him to death and should have been DQ if he wasnt in his own town. I so hope Froch beats Wards and shuts all these haters up.
What you say about Froch's chin and stamina is true but he really struggles with anybody who can box... and Ward can. Direll, Taylor (before the KO) and Kessler all gave him trouble.
He's fortunate that he can afford an army of high priced attorneys, much like O.J., oops, let me rephrase that. He's fortunate he didn't kill a blonde white woman, get off, and then go commit another felony where it could be recorded.
He's only 34, there is still time for that!
Pacquiao was unable to do it last night. So might it be down to Khan to take it?
The only problem I see is that Team Khan doesn't have the sort of cash for the judges that Arum has. Yeah Khan's family have some restaurant businesses but that's nothing compared to what Arum pushes.
Can Khan KO him before the final bell? I wasn't impressed with Bradley last night. The last 3 rounds he moved well but that was against a Pac who took his foot off the pedal after thinking it was in the bag. Khan NEVER stops coming.
Can Khan KO Bradley? War my boy Khan. War!
Nope - Pacquiao will take it in the rematch! A loss might, even a dubious one, might be enough to get some of his killer instinct back.
I read that with utter sarcasm.
Any level headed person would realize, the way that Floyd won, that 2lbs did absolutely nothing.
He didn't even fight him in a way in which is weight would matter such as an inside fight, he boxed him from a distance the entire fight.
He won every second of every round after a 2 year layoff, that 2lbs meant absolutely nothing.
Of course two pounds makes a difference! Depending on how much water he had already shed, two pounds could be the difference between feeling fit on fight night or severe dehydration. The fact that he was willing to pay $600 000 and get slammed by fans/media for those 2 pounds shows just how important they were.
I definitely don't think Floyd could be considered GOAT. He possibly has the potential but that alone does not make an all time great.
I think he is missing the really exciting blood and guts fights in his career, especially in the last few years when potential for super fights has been greatest. He is too averse to risk and too worried about losing his "0". He does win fights and you can't knock him for that but the last time he finished a fight legitimately was Hatton, five years ago! Most of the fights in between he seems to have coasted thorough to a safe win, nothing wrong with that, unless you want to be remembered forever!
NO, he just wasn't allowed to grapple and hold and hit. Cortez took advantage of the rules and didn't allow it to happen after the first few times.
Hatton's style of fighting was done way back in the day...boring style fight.
People want to see fists fly
But I'm sure Ricky will want you to believe it (even though he doesn't), as well as Floyd if he comes out of retirement to promote a rematch....It will be one big reason to help fans pay for it again.
Really? Strange, Cortez went on to referee the Calzaghe/Hopkins fight shortly after that and let them grapple and hold eachother all night long. A referee shouldn't "take advantage of the rules", especially if it benefits one fighters style like it obviously did that night. In-fighting and clinching are part of boxing.
More people need to start voting with their wallets and do not buy the rematch! This is getting rediculous every damn fight ending in controversial decisions. Money is the only thing they will understand.
Yet UK sport journalists and British SKY, who broadcasted the event, are far more neutral and they're calling the point deductions fair. Khan brought it upon himself and even without the deductions it was a close fight.
Self-loathing is an English pass time. Our commentators love to slam the English fighter.
Paquiao has gotten a lot of gift decisions and that's why he didn't complain. Finally he gets a taste of his own medicine!! According to Pac fans judges are professionals and they always make the right decision.. Good win for Bradley..
Two wrongs don't make a right, it just screws both fighters in the end and alienates real fans. People just need to start boycotting this s**t until they get their act together, they are messing with people's whole lives and careers.
That was one giant **** up from start to finish. Ortiz probably got what he deserved but Cortez ruined what could have been an interesting fight. He is so vague and indecisive, I can believe he is still allowed to referee fights at this or any other level. There must be hundreds even thousands of competent referees, why do they have to pick a senile pensioner with a history of cock-ups when this much is at stake?