FLOYD MAYWEATHER DID NOTHING WRONG
By Stephen "Breadman" Edwards
Floyd Mayweather Jr. did absolutely nothing wrong in his knockout victory over Victor Ortiz. Everybody who has ever watched a boxing match can recite the specific instruction to protect yourself at all times. The question the critics should be asking is, why did Victor Ortiz declare war, then immediately try to initiate a peace treaty.
That's exactly what he did by purposely head butting Mayweather, then hugging and kissing him to apologize afterwards. I warned everybody about Ortiz's behavior at the weigh in, namely the kissing and hugging. Allowing Mayweather to choke and dig his fingers in his face was a sign of mental weakness. A good friend of mine and well respected figure in boxing, told me I gave too much credence to the weigh-in. But no one can tell me what my eyes see. I saw an immature, glad to be hear, weak minded kid about to go on the BIG stage.
Ortiz is half pit bull, half mutt. He was better off headbutting Mayweather, accepting the point deduction and continue to fight like an animal. He was having his best round and the sight of Mayweather's blood could have gave him confidence. But in typical mutt fashion, he asked for forgiveness. Then he engaged in another hug. How long is Mayweather supposed to hug this man?
Mayweather punched Shane Mosley and Arturo Gatti both in the face for not protecting themselves at all times. Ortiz should have known better. I believe Ortiz found a way to quit again. That's what weak minded fighters do. They find clever ways to pack it in. Zab Judah just did it against Amir Khan. Ortiz was not knocked out by the 1st blow, but he kept his hands down. He accepted his fate. Afterwards he had that same dumb smile on his face, he had at the weigh in and after the Maidana fight. He was not upset at all. He was relieved it was over.
I will never support another Victor Ortiz fight and I wouldn't care if he ever fought again. People pay thousands of dollars for lodge and travel to see satisfying endings to big events. The ending was not controversial in my opinion but it was not satisfying either. This is the second time Ortiz has done this to us. But yet somehow Mayweather gets the blame. I may be a fool for something nice, but I won't be a fool for the same thing twice.
HBO's broadcast team should also be ashamed of themselves. Jim Lampley should have went after Ortiz full force. Instead he makes a comparison between Mayweather and Sugar Ray Robinson and Sugar Ray Leonard. I have said many times that Mayweather is not as good as either man, but the comparison was unwarranted. Then Larry Marchant gets in the ring and attacks Mayweather some more. Merchant has public beefs with Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones, Pernell Whitaker, George Foreman and now Floyd Mayweather. I respect Larry Merchant but some will say that it's no conicidence that Merchant keeps having these feuds with this many outstanding black fighters. I am not going to go there yet, but I will say it's just not a good look. Merchant and Lamply were both less critical and much nicer to the guilty Ortiz.
I know Mayweather has done plenty of wrong in front of all of our eyes. But in this case, he is an innocent man. He out smarted a guy who blatantly fouled him first and scored a legal knockout. The only controversy in this fight, was Joe Cortez was out of position and he did not see the punches land. So he was counting over a man, when he didn't know whether Ortiz was punched or kicked.
I hope we do not see a rematch. Four rounds is all we need to see. Mayweather is the better fighter and more importantly he is stronger mentally. Critics, please be fair with Mayweather. Take all of your personal feelings out of the equation and look at the turn of events. Ortiz got just what he deserved and wanted. Yes you didn't misread my statement. Ortiz wanted to lose, when he realized he couldn't win. The headbutt was desperation, the hugging was capitulation, and walking to Mayweather with his hands down was submission.
Before this fight, a well respected coach whom I will not name. Told me he watched Ortiz, drop his hands and allow Amir Khan to reel off about 20 unanswered punches to his face. The referee stopped the fight. History sure does have a way of repeating itself.
By Stephen "Breadman" Edwards
Floyd Mayweather Jr. did absolutely nothing wrong in his knockout victory over Victor Ortiz. Everybody who has ever watched a boxing match can recite the specific instruction to protect yourself at all times. The question the critics should be asking is, why did Victor Ortiz declare war, then immediately try to initiate a peace treaty.
That's exactly what he did by purposely head butting Mayweather, then hugging and kissing him to apologize afterwards. I warned everybody about Ortiz's behavior at the weigh in, namely the kissing and hugging. Allowing Mayweather to choke and dig his fingers in his face was a sign of mental weakness. A good friend of mine and well respected figure in boxing, told me I gave too much credence to the weigh-in. But no one can tell me what my eyes see. I saw an immature, glad to be hear, weak minded kid about to go on the BIG stage.
Ortiz is half pit bull, half mutt. He was better off headbutting Mayweather, accepting the point deduction and continue to fight like an animal. He was having his best round and the sight of Mayweather's blood could have gave him confidence. But in typical mutt fashion, he asked for forgiveness. Then he engaged in another hug. How long is Mayweather supposed to hug this man?
Mayweather punched Shane Mosley and Arturo Gatti both in the face for not protecting themselves at all times. Ortiz should have known better. I believe Ortiz found a way to quit again. That's what weak minded fighters do. They find clever ways to pack it in. Zab Judah just did it against Amir Khan. Ortiz was not knocked out by the 1st blow, but he kept his hands down. He accepted his fate. Afterwards he had that same dumb smile on his face, he had at the weigh in and after the Maidana fight. He was not upset at all. He was relieved it was over.
I will never support another Victor Ortiz fight and I wouldn't care if he ever fought again. People pay thousands of dollars for lodge and travel to see satisfying endings to big events. The ending was not controversial in my opinion but it was not satisfying either. This is the second time Ortiz has done this to us. But yet somehow Mayweather gets the blame. I may be a fool for something nice, but I won't be a fool for the same thing twice.
HBO's broadcast team should also be ashamed of themselves. Jim Lampley should have went after Ortiz full force. Instead he makes a comparison between Mayweather and Sugar Ray Robinson and Sugar Ray Leonard. I have said many times that Mayweather is not as good as either man, but the comparison was unwarranted. Then Larry Marchant gets in the ring and attacks Mayweather some more. Merchant has public beefs with Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones, Pernell Whitaker, George Foreman and now Floyd Mayweather. I respect Larry Merchant but some will say that it's no conicidence that Merchant keeps having these feuds with this many outstanding black fighters. I am not going to go there yet, but I will say it's just not a good look. Merchant and Lamply were both less critical and much nicer to the guilty Ortiz.
I know Mayweather has done plenty of wrong in front of all of our eyes. But in this case, he is an innocent man. He out smarted a guy who blatantly fouled him first and scored a legal knockout. The only controversy in this fight, was Joe Cortez was out of position and he did not see the punches land. So he was counting over a man, when he didn't know whether Ortiz was punched or kicked.
I hope we do not see a rematch. Four rounds is all we need to see. Mayweather is the better fighter and more importantly he is stronger mentally. Critics, please be fair with Mayweather. Take all of your personal feelings out of the equation and look at the turn of events. Ortiz got just what he deserved and wanted. Yes you didn't misread my statement. Ortiz wanted to lose, when he realized he couldn't win. The headbutt was desperation, the hugging was capitulation, and walking to Mayweather with his hands down was submission.
Before this fight, a well respected coach whom I will not name. Told me he watched Ortiz, drop his hands and allow Amir Khan to reel off about 20 unanswered punches to his face. The referee stopped the fight. History sure does have a way of repeating itself.
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