Mayweather vs Ortiz: Is it a fixed fight?

Every globally recognized sport has its own fair share of bizarre incidents and hateable characters. We have Lebron as NBA’s most recognized choke artist, the polygamous Tiger Woods for golf, and the enhanced Sosa’s and Mcgwire’s of baseball. These personalities are amazing players of their chosen sport but they do have flaws and had made decisions that shook the sporting world.

In boxing right now, we have Floyd Mayweather Jr. His last fight against Victor Ortiz is just another testimony to Floyd’s outrageous personality as a leading sports figure. His beautifully executed left-hook, right-straight combination knockout of Ortiz is overshadowed by the fact that Ortiz (and referee, Joe Cortez) seemed to be caught off-guard when it happened which made people think of Mayweather’s win as either cheap or a cheat.

Boxing fans and the media were abuzz over the latest Floyd-esque turn of events. Discussions flooded bars, social networks, and web forums. The most common dispute is over the legality of the punch. Was it by technicality, a legal blow? Or was it a punch on time-out? Some argue whether it was a sucker punch or Ortiz really deserved that one for being an idiot.

These are the prevalent opinions:


  • Floyd is a cheater and he punched Ortiz fully knowing that they were still on time-out. Mayweather would have probably lost or was having a hard time in that fight; he had found a way to cheat and win.
  • The punch, by any means, was legal. However it was still a cheap shot to a ceremoniously apologetic Ortiz. It was an undeserving win for Floyd.
  • Floyd just did what a boxer should do. He did not cheat. It was a legal blow and Ortiz was just a stupid fighter who deserved to be knocked out for the headbutt he initiated.
  • The headbutt was wrong. The punches were legal but still cheap.
For me, the opinions stated above are futile because I, for one, see it differently and I am sure that there are others that share my opinion. The fight between Mayweather and Ortiz was fixed!
 
Yes. I truly believe that the match was fixed—even worse, it was staged. The people involved especially Floyd Mayweather Jr. had the means and motive to pull it off. 

Hyping up a match by making it appear more competitive than it should is the norm in marketing fights. Making it appear that there’s bad blood between fighters is understandable. Boxing fans are tolerant of such “hyping” methods but staging a high profile fight is unforgivable. 

This is how I saw the fight:
  • Floyd and his Money Team, Victor Ortiz, Joe Cortez, Delahoya, and GBP, were involved in this disgrace of a fight. The fix could never be done without these key figures.
  • During the early rounds, a mock boxing match was being acted out—making spectators believe that they genuinely wanted to hurt each other. This is relatively easy particularly for professional fighters like Ortiz and Mayweather.
  • The headbutts and dirty tactics employed by Ortiz were planned. Why? Because these would supposedly justify Mayweather’s actions later on. The “jumping” headbutt was too obvious, making sure that it wouldn’t go unnoticed. Ortiz really appeared villainous in those exchanges. Again, those were all done for a purpose.
  • The over-the-top headbutt was the cue. The succeeding events such as the time-out, separation of fighters, and Cortez’s actions of looking away while Floyd delivering the knockout blow were too theatrical and contrived.
  • Ortiz was supposed to stay down and out of his wits.
  • Cortez called it a KO win for Mayweather and everyone involved were laughing all the way to the bank.
It is my belief that Mayweather is a shot fighter and he knows it. 

He knows that he cannot compete at a high level anymore. He knows that Pacquiao will easily beat him. He knows that other fighters within his fighting weight range can put a stain on his perfect record. 

Money May might have lost his boxing prowess but his business skills made up for it. So in order to maintain the “Money” image and financial edge, he has to cherrypick fighters or fix fights.

Mayweather’s main motivation is money and maintaining the illusion that he is still a very good fighter. With his place in pound-for-pound rankings and current fight earnings, saying that he is successful is an understatement.

His first fight out of his so-called retirement is a handpicked match against Marquez who had never fought heavier than 135 pounds. Floyd even made sure of his advantages over the Mexican by going 2 pounds beyond the contract weight. His next fight after that was against the aging but perennially considered dangerous Shane Mosley. In my opinion, that fight was also fixed but this post is about the fight against Ortiz and why I see it as staged.

Motives and Circumstantial Evidence  

Mayweather has found allies in Oscar De la Hoya (GBP). The displayed hostility between the two is all part of the charade. Like Mayweather, De la Hoya is money-motivated and has everything to gain as long as Mayweather continues to sell blockbuster fights because Floyd only works with GBP. This makes it easy for Floyd to pull strings.

Floyd chose Ortiz for a reason: he has a belt, he’s young, and he’s gullible. Ortiz’s character is also questionable as he is alleged to fabricate his life story. My bet is that he was paid more than what was stated. 

Why Ortiz did it. It was supposed to be his shot to greatness.

Well, Victor Ortiz is not made of the stuff of champions. He was also in for the money. In his mind, beating Mayweather wouldn’t bring as much cash in total. He might’ve considered that he wouldn’t be able to get past other fighters after Mayweather. 

For GBP, a Mayweather headliner is always a highly profitable event. Making sure it stayed that way, Golden Boy Promotions could have manipulated Ortiz to take a dive and receive an amount beyond everything he could’ve made. Depending on public opinion, Ortiz can even get a rematch and another possibility of a high payday. Their script made it possible. Like I said, Ortiz is gullible. 

Floyd is more than happy to sacrifice a part of his earnings for this. He retains his command as an undefeated boxer and still maintains the illusion that he is a one-of-kind fighter with a style that no one can solve. Again, that sells fights. 

To top it off, they hired Joe Cortez to officiate inside the ring. He is known to be biased and also a shady character. The way Cortez looks away during the moment of the knockout was so staged and pretentious, it left me dumbfounded. Whether he signaled to box or not is meaningless, the point of the whole act is to create a controversy and most importantly, a win for Mayweather.

The headbutt was designed to make a villain out of Ortiz. It also added to the impression that he’s losing and frustrated. It would also justify the “sucker punches” thrown by Mayweather. It would strengthen the claim that those punches were called for.

If the public perceives that Ortiz deserved to be KOed and was going to lose anyway, it is good for Floyd’s reputation as a skilled fighter. Otherwise, a rematch could be made and if the demand for it is enough, it will be another lucrative venture for Mayweather and the crew. It would also provide another excuse to fight Pacquiao or another worthy opponent for that matter.

Why not take the conventional dive? Why all the drama?

There’s a couple of reasons. One, they need a controversial win to pave way for a possible rematch. The other reason is to add realism to the KO. Although it’s easy to act out a fight, it is harder to pull off a believable knockout. Remember Marquez vs Ramos? Ortiz did get hit hard and to most people that will erase all doubts that the fight was fake. Not me. 

Sooner or later, Floyd will run out of excuses. The next relevant fighter to cherrypick might never come. Not all fighters can be paid to take a dive. Eventually, Floyd Mayweather will have to fight a very good fighter (for real) if he still needs the money. Or, he can just retire undefeated.

Despite these, a possibility of a Mayweather-Pacquiao still survives simply because of the money it can potentially make. Pacquiao has already voiced his plans for retirement and it’s closing in fast. He will run for governor in 2013. That means 2 to 3 fights  away (after Marquez) before hanging them up. He is also running out of worthy and logical opponents apart from Mayweather. With Pacquiao in retirement, Mayweather might as well retire because he won’t generate as much money without the looming possibility of Pacquiao fighting him. 

There is no doubt in my mind that Floyd Mayweather Jr. will lose to Manny Pacquiao once they face each other. I just hope that before the Filipino retires, Mayweather is greedy enough to grow the balls to fight Pacquiao. 

Stalling and squeezing in as many fights as possible before actually facing Pacquiao is a smart financial move for Floyd, after all, he’s all about the money. But if he decides to completely steer clear of Pacquiao and retire undefeated, he will lose the very little respect the fans have for him. He will then have a legacy of an undefeated boxer who had never fought the fighter(s) he needed to fight.

Still, this can end relatively well even for a bad guy like Mayweather. He can help boost the sinking sport of boxing and end his career in a more honorable way. He can give us all a big favor by fighting his greatest rival, let Pacquiao whoop his ass and expose him as the fraud he truly is.




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Comments

  1. I wholeheardly agreed with everything you just said as my thought processes were literally on this exact wavelength. It looked like pure WWE in the ring... but all the circumstances surrounding the motive to lock BIG $$$ for the future is ever so clear that anyone who still believes in their common senses and things organic (read NATURAL) vs. synthetic (unnatural) can see that this fight from beginning to end was pure synthetic (fake) beyond all senses of reasoning. Those who don't still believe they live in a free country and are absolutely comfortable with the status quo.

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  2. I have been a big Floyd fan, but this fight seemed strange. Here are some more points to consider:

    1) Ortiz camp was way too placid and accepting of the result. Why didn't they create an all out brawl and demand a disqualification?

    2) Watch closely as the fighters come together before the knockout. It looks like Floyd leans in and says something (maybe telling him to brace for the KO?)

    3) Ortiz and Floyd did know each other personally... they had been sparring partners.

    4) This also brings doubt to the Mosely fight, which was also suspicious. Why did a hardened brawler like Mosely back off after he landed two big shots and had Mayweather wobbled? Do you really think he was that afraid?

    5) And if you come to the conclusion that GBP is corrupt, and both training camps were in on it... then where does it stop? Do you think if the fight was rigged that Top Rank wouldn't know about it, or recognise that? Pacquiao has also been in some suspect bouts... how far does the corruption go?

    People talk about Mayweather v Pacquiao, and how much money it's worth but they forget the main point: Fixed fights are about betting. When you know the outcome of a fight, you can make enormous amounts of money. All they have to do is spread the bets out throughout the thousands of betting agencies around the world, and they can make enourmous amounts of money on any given fight.

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  3. Kudos to you both...it stunk & the fans who paid to see it were the real losers. I've seen pro wrestling look better than this farce. What professional boxer would ever let his hands drop below his waist while in proximity of his opponent while in the ring ...It's a FIRST and I've studied several hundred fights on ESPN, Showtime, HBO, etc. but the best is the anthology of boxing on ESPCL w/ their fabulous library dating back to Jack Johnson to the present....That was totally fixed & was stink it up theater.
    Mayweather's berating of Larry Merchant on camera in the ring also really showed a true lack of class for a champ...just look at his retarded uncle Roger who has somehow paid his way out of prison time for choking and beating a woman unconscious at his Vegas apartment...more family jewels...!
    Floyd also is sporting a new Miss Jackson...I guess the mother of his kids Josie Harris got tired of being beaten....this runs in the family..beating defenseless women....this family is completely disfunctional....
    Rematch...? Are you insane out there...once fooled shame on you....twice fooled shame on me.....
    Bring on the Pac Man & send Floyd into retirement. He'll be another has been who blows every dime he ever made within a few years after that...let it rain then Floyd.

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  4. very nice article. ortiz did not careful about this. that's why he was surprised of mayweather's punch. I will invite you to watch this Mayweather vs Cotto

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  5. Watch closely as the fighters come together before the knockout. It looks like Floyd leans in and says something (maybe telling him to brace for the KO?)fin del mundo

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  6. -->Watch closely as the fighters come together before the knockout. It looks like Floyd leans in and says something (maybe telling him to brace for the KO?)fin del mundo.
    re: yes I agree to you webmarketing

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  7. I'm glad you people recognize the contrivances also. I just couldn't believe watching it, that these two (three, four however many involved...) thought that it looked plausible. Joe Cortez was the biggest sore thumb for me, his complete disregard for convention and hid RETARDED looking away/glancing back, waiting for the KO. Ridiculous. Ortiz should be deeply, deeply ashamed...He could have claimed some real integrity for himself. Bad decision. Shocking display.

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  8. I am a Floyd Mayweather fan, and I also did some boxing and yes boxing is corrupt from head to toe.I recallbeing offered 10k to throw a fight so some rising fighter could keep a perfect record,and instead I flattened him in round 3.

    You have to understand many scummy people enter the boxing industry, people like sonny liston murdered by the mafia because they thought he was throwing fights.

    If boxing isn't corrupt, then why is it no one even tries to unify the welterweight titles. This is consistent with what the writer wrote here, champion fighters picking and choosing who they want to fight. Fighters like Mayweather will not fight the Buster douglases because those fighters may not be better than them, but they can beat them. That is,guys like Bailey could ko mayweather, but he would not be considered a better boxer because he can't beat the same guys that Mayweather can.

    The fact that Ortiz is kissing mayweather and dropping his handsand not doing anything when mayweather was raising his hands, fight was fixed

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  9. Agree, there are more..., boxing is dying.

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  10. I was a retired boxer, and am a sport scientist. Since Ortiz-May weather fight, I told many of my coach friends (boxing), don't let their students watch mayweather fight, because young students might mislead by Mayweather faked boxing skills. Even the Maidana fight was fixed, the sport of boxing has big trouble now.

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  11. With hindsight being 20/20. The last 2 paragraph is spot on!! Its amazing how you called it 4 years in advance. The Mayweather vs Pacquiao fight is finally happening conveniently during the tail end of their careers. My question is do u think Pacquiao will still win or Mayweather? Or will it be another fixed fight?

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