MANILA, Philippines - While the consensus is Floyd Mayweather Jr. did nothing illegal in knocking out Victor Ortiz with a sucker punch when the naïve southpaw wasn’t looking in their Las Vegas fight last Saturday night, boxing aficionados agreed the newly recrowned WBC welterweight champion violated the spirit of sportsmanship in showing a lack of class.
Mayweather 34, belted Ortiz, 24, during what seemed to be a lull as referee Joe Cortez was distracted and fans expected a touch of gloves. Worse, Ortiz tried to catch Cortez’ attention after he got hit as if to call for a ceasefire, took his eyes away from Mayweather and absorbed another jolt, this time a right straight that toppled him for the 10-count.
Clearly, Mayweather exploited the lapse in Ortiz’ concentration or naivete. Ortiz had just been slapped a point deduction for an intentional headbutt and even kissed Mayweather to apologize for his infraction. Although he was the defending champion, Ortiz showed too much undeserved respect for Pretty Boy who co-promoted the fight and paid for his opponent’s paycheck. Ortiz looked like he surrendered himself as a sacrificial lamb to pave the way for Mayweather’s showdown with Manny Pacquiao- – if it ever happens.
Two-time world champion Gerry Peñalosa told The Star yesterday he thought Mayweather’s knockout came from a legal punch but it wasn’t fair. “Mayweather showed no class,” said Penalosa. “He didn’t have to cheat to win. He could’ve knocked out Ortiz in the later rounds anyway. The referee could’ve done more to control the fight. When Mayweather hit Ortiz, the referee wasn’t paying attention to the boxers. Either Ortiz was intimidated by Mayweather or had too much respect for him. He should’ve protested how it ended so there’s a rematch. Ortiz isn’t a good businessman compared to Mayweather who knows how to sell himself.”
Peñalosa said Pacquiao will beat Mayweather by decision if they face off. “Manny is too explosive and that will make Mayweather fight defensively,” he explained.
Boxing manager Rommel Nazario, whose late father Rod was Pacquiao’s business manager, lashed out at Mayweather for his unsportsmanlike conduct. “The instinct of a boxer is to have space first before fighting but Mayweather took just one step backward then boom,” he said. “I know Manny will beat Mayweather especially if Mayweather fights toe to toe. Mayweather’s weakness is when he knows he has a little chance of winning because that’s when he’ll just dance inside the ring and people won’t like that.”
Nazario, whose protégé Michael Landero of Pontevedra, Negros Occidental, is now in South Africa to battle Hekkie Budler for the vacant IBO minimumweight title on Saturday, described Mayweather as “a good boxer who doesn’t take chances.”
Nazario said Pacquiao will defeat Mayweather for sure. “When Manny hits him, it’s over,” he added. “Mayweather’s win over Ortiz showed no class. If it went the distance, Mayweather would’ve still won but it was an ugly way to win by knockout. And what he did to Larry Merchant was very rude, just like what he did to his father. Mayweather has no respect.”
In a ring interview after the fight, Mayweather verbally abused Merchant and publicly called on HBO to fire the announcer for supposedly not giving him a fair shake in his commentary. Merchant said if he was 50 years younger, he’d whip Mayweather’s butt.
ALA Promotions owner Tony Aldeguer said Mayweather deserved to win but it was not a sportsmanlike victory. “What Ortiz did was worse because the headbutt was intentional,” he said. “Mayweather’s reaction was instinctive as it is normal for a boxer to throw a punch when an opportunity warrants and Mayweather saw that opportunity when Ortiz dropped his guard. It was a stupid move by Ortiz who was over affectionate.”
In a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout, Aldeguer said the Filipino icon has to score a knockout to guarantee a victory. “If the fight goes the distance, it could be anybody’s fight,” he said. “In Mayweather’s fight against Ortiz, he was faultless.”
International referee Bruce McTavish said the only way Pacquiao can beat Mayweather is to roughhouse him, meaning to crowd him, put pressure, throw a lot of punches and suffocate him with a large volume of blows.