Ring Tones

Mayweather beats Ortiz by tainted 4th round knockout

This....is why boxing will never die.

There were a lot of predictions as to how Saturday's WBC welterweight showdown between the comebacking Floyd Mayweather Jr. and defending champion Victor Ortiz would go. Most had Mayweather winning by decision.

But nobody could have expected the drama that unfolded.

After being warned by referee Joe Cortez for intentionally headbutting Mayweather, Ortiz - in the act of apologizing for his infraction - was unceremoniously drilled with two Floyd powerpunches that knocked him down and out in the 4th round at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

With the win, Mayweather won Ortiz's WBC 147-pound title.

While the unfortunate sequence may have been legal, it was also unsportsmanlike on the part of Mayweather. HBO commentator Jim Lampley perhaps said it best: an all-time great fighter shouldn't have to resort to such nonsense to post a win.

On the other hand, Ortiz exhibited way too much respect for his opponent. Why he felt the need to continuously apologize for the headbutt is anyone's guess. But a single tap of the gloves would have sufficed.

By unnecessarily offering his gloves (and dropping his hands) in apology - especially after Cortez ordered the fighters to resume - Ortiz broke boxing's cardinal rule: protect yourself at all times.

And referee Cortez? Perhaps its time to retire. He was the one whose speed and reflexes seemed slowed. Rather than watching the action, Cortez's gaze was locked firmly on the timekeeper. As a result, he missed the most critical juncture in the fight, and allowed for one of the most controversial endings in recent memory.

Now, the firestorm will be considerable, and the pressure for Mayweather to meet pouind-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao will be even more enhanced.

Let's hope he does it soon.

The night's big winner was HBO commentator Larry Merchant, who, after being berated by Mayweather for no other reason than asking probing questions, told Floyd: "You're lucky I'm not 50 years younger. I'd kick your ass."

Now that, folks was an interesting night of boxing.

 

30 years ago Sept. 16: Leonard stops Hearns in "The Showdown"

Lost in the hype of the biggest fight of 2011 - Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Victor Ortiz - was the commemoration of the fight that set the mold for non-heavyweights, a fight known simply as "The Showdown."

Yes, it's been 30 years on Sept. 16 since Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas  Hearns reversed roles and put on an all-time great welterweight boxing match at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

The fight set records for fighter purses, and was one of the first to be televised on a pay-per-view basis (closed-circuit television had dominated big-time boxing through the 1970s). Put on by a little-known New Jersey-based company named "Main Events," the promotion was one of the most successful in boxing history, which was no surprise.

By in large, the fight sold itself. It was the Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao of its day.

Leonard was the WBC champ from Palmer Park, Maryland, who was known as the media darling with the cocky attitude and the worldwide fan base. He was a blazing fast boxer who had won America's hearts at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, winning a gold medal. And though he had been defeated by Roberto Duran in June 1980, he came back to make Duran quit in the rematch - making Leonard an even bigger star than he'd been before.

But Hearns, the WBA champ, looked like a force of nature in August 1980, when he destroyed long-reigning champion Pipino Cuevas in the second round in his hometown of Detroit. Tall for a welterweight at 6-foot-1, Hearns - known as "The Hitman" - was a rangy powerpuncher whose right hand was the most feared punch in boxing.

It was boxer vs. puncher in a unification match for the ages. Hearns, with a huge fan base from his hometown, was a slight favorite at fight time. 

The fight started as expected, with the slugger Hearns pursuing the boxer Leonard. Through five rounds, Hearns, behind a snapping left jab, seemed to have an edge over the backpedaling Leonard.

But then, in the sixth, Leonard staggered Hearns with a quick left hook, and Hearns floundered around the ring. He survived, only to absorb more punishment in the 7th. By that time, though, Leonard had lost his breath in chasing Hearns.

And so began one of the more fascinating role reversals in boxing history: Hearns the puncher began to box, and Leonard the boxer turned puncher.

Hearns continued to work behind his jab, utilizing his significant height and reach advantages. He stunned Leonard in the 11th with a left hook, and produced a nasty swelling above Leonard's eye that limited Sugar Ray's vision significantly.

Going into the 13th round, Hearns held a sizable lead on all three judges scorecards.

Then, Leonard suddenly hurt Hearns again in the 13th, and this time, there would be no escape. Sugar Ray unloaded on the Hitman, knocking Hearns out of the ring and scoring a knockdown. Hearns made it through the round, but it was to no avail. Leonard continued where he left off in the 14th, and another flurry convinced referee Davey Pearl to stop the fight midway through the round.

To this day, "The Showdown" is considered an all-time great fight.

Eight years later, older, bigger versions of Leonard and Hearns met in a 1989 rematch. And though that one was good too - Hearns scored two knockdowns but settled for a draw - it wasn't on the same plateau as the duo's original classic.