Floyd Mayweather defeats Victor Ortiz by knockout
Floyd Mayweather knocked out Victor Ortiz in stunning fashion in the fourth round of their welterweight title fight Saturday, but the finish will win probably cemented his reputation as a villain in the eyes of most boxing fans.
Late in the fourth round, Ortiz head-butted Mayweather and was given a warning by referee Joe Cortez. Ortiz apologized to Mayweather, and leaned in to him as if to give him a hug while Cortez seemingly gave a weak signal for the fight to resume. Mayweather used the opening to throw a hard right that knocked Ortiz out. Mayweather was greeted by a cascade of boos.
In an interview in the ring after the fight, Mayweather talked about being booed. "I got hit by a dirty shot. The rule is protect yourself at all time. We're not here to cry and complain about what he did or I did dirty."
Referee Joe Cortez: "Time was in. [Ortiz] needed to keep his guard up. Mayweather did nothing illegal."
Lance Pugmire will have more on this controversial fight later at latimes.com/sports. You can read his round-by-round update here.
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--Houston Mitchell
Photo: Floyd Mayweather Jr. delivers the knockout punch against Victor Ortiz in the fourth round of their title fight on Saturday night in Las Vegas. Credit: Eric Jamison / Associated Press
