Team Victor Ortiz Blast Mayweather For "Starting A Street Fight"; Demand Rematch
Photo Courtesy Of NY Daily News
A week removed from one of the more controversial finishes in recent boxing history, Victor Ortiz, Oscar De La Hoya and Ortiz’ manager Rolando Arellano held a conference call that resembled a girlfriend begging not to be dumped rather than a discussion about what transpired last Saturday.
It was a bizarre conference call that found Ortiz saying that Mayweather started a “street fight” and dissolved into nonsensical anecdotes about Mayweather’s “tarnished” legacy. “I felt very disrespected by Floyd doing that,” Ortiz said about the two punches that dropped him in the fourth round after being docked a point for an intentional headbutt. “He released elbows on me and the least I could do was release a headbutt…Floyd clearly started the street fight. He loves his elbows and I wasn’t having it.”
The elbows that Team Ortiz referred to have been a point of discussion for weeks. Ortiz’ trainer Danny Garcia has constantly knocked Mayweather for illegally using his elbows in the ring. Ortiz said he was hit by two elbows and retaliated accordingly. Strangely enough, he took no responsibility for the rabbit punches that formed a huge knot on the back of Mayweather’s head.
The call also found all three blasting Mayweather for what was “unsportsmanlike” and stated that Mayweather took an out because he was in danger of being defeated. Obviously, Team Ortiz was watching the wrong fight as it was Mayweather in control and seemed to just be stepping on the gas in the fourth round when Ortiz launched his head into Mayweather’s mouth. But Oscar De La Hoya felt that Ortiz was in control and threatening Mayweather in the fourth round.
“Ortiz was landing punches,” De La Hoya said regarding Ortiz’ performance before the knockout. “Mayweather was not going to knock him out. It was only the fourth round and Victor was coming on strong.”
De La Hoya said that fight fans everywhere were “robbed” of a great fight. This might be true as the finish happened early in the fight. However, had it not been for Ortiz’ headbutt, there would never have been an opportunity for Mayweather to land a left hook and a straight right hand in the first place. Nevertheless, the fight ended with controversy but was totally legal. Even still, Team Ortiz has stated that the honorable thing to do for the Mayweather camp is to grant Ortiz an immediate rematch.
“His legacy will be tainted and tarnished for the rest of his life if he doesn’t give us the rematch,” Ortiz’ manager Rolando Arellano stated. “Victor headbutted him because Floyd took it to the streets first. Victor was displaying the highest standard of sportsmanship. And you know what the punk does? He punk shots him!”
Oh yes, the hugs and kisses that Ortiz showered Mayweather with after the headbutt. That’s what got Ortiz in trouble in the first place. Had he been protecting himself, he would have never been laid out. Even Ortiz admits that he should have defended himself. “A fighter is supposed to protect himself at all times. I agree with that,” Ortiz said before following it up with “I didn’t think I needed to put my hands up” as he blamed Joe Cortez for not controlling the fight.
Many in the boxing world place the blame more on the shoulders of Joe Cortez and Victor Ortiz rather than Floyd Mayweather. After all, Cortez said “fight” and Ortiz wanted to continue the hug fest. One of these people that saw no wrongdoing on Mayweather’s behalf was boxing commentator Teddy Atlas. Shortly after the fight, Atlas stated “I feel that Ortiz looked for a way out of that fight and his way to get out of that fight was to head butt…He was looking for a way out of the fight instead of acting like a fighter.”
Upon hearing those comments, Ortiz blasted Atlas.
“Teddy Atlas should know why I threw that headbutt,” Ortiz said; which completely contradicts his earlier statements that the head butt was accidental. “I was not behind. I was dictating the action. It was all me in the 3rd and 4th rounds. Maybe Teddy Atlas has favoritism and biased. He hasn’t been in the game for 100 years.”
From there the call dissolved into a pity party for Team Ortiz who cited that perhaps Mayweather’s “friendship” with referee Joe Cortez was the reason why Ortiz lost. They also begged and pleaded for a rematch (“Do the right thing not just for us but for his legacy and his fans.”). It’s highly unlikely considering that the fight appeared to begin heading into a one-sided affair as Ortiz was being crushed by Mayweather’s straight right and his face had the evidence to prove it. Ortiz says that none of Mayweather’s punches ever hurt him — even the combination that knocked him out.
“The hook didn’t hurt me, that was like a girl slapping me. Even the punch didn’t do damage. It just caught me off guard.”
Must have been a strong woman.
No matter what dela hoya says or ortiz. Mayweather was going to whip him anyway ortiz needs to learn how to fight. Because mayweathe is a boxer he don’t just be throwing punches he aim for his target. Unlikely I really don’t won’t a rematch and for manny fight mayweather hoya to much skills for manny. And plus he is to small tell manny to get off the drugs and mayweather will do him easy. Ani’t got nothing coming trying to fight mayweather but a whipping.
Mayweather is the best boxer I have ever seen, he is a smart boxer he don’t take a lot of chances. He only hits and make the other person miss. He don’t get caught up in a punch for a punch battle. There ani’t nothing good about getting hit. Mayweather is a smooth working machine. So everybody needs to give him credit, they say he can’t take a punch he showed that. They say he only fights little guys he showed that. Now for all of thou haters, mayweather don’t need to manny manny have lost two fights. Maywether have lost 0 now with hating and give mayweather what’s due to him. Manny can’t beat mayweather he don’t even stand a chance in the ring with the pound code pound champ, he really needs to retire after this next fight.