The last instruction given to a fighter by a referee before a boxing match begins is to protect yourself at all times. No matter what is happening in the ring, it is the fighter’s responsibility to stay cognizant of his surroundings.
Saturday night in the Floyd Mayweather vs. Victor Ortiz showdown, Ortiz must have forgotten the instructions. After receiving several hard straight right hands throughout the fight and not being able to land much in return, he decided to commit a blatant foul when he intentionally headbutted Mayweather. To add insult to injury, he expected to receive forgiveness from Mayweather who lip was busted from the incident. Mayweather in return did what any cagey veteran fighter would have done; he waited patiently to resume action then threw two punches to end the fight.
Victor Ortiz found a way out of a fight that he was losing. He was overmatched from a skill level point of view and it was starting to show with the bruises on his face. After not being able to land any punch with consistency, he decided to use his head to get a tactical advantage. The only problem with his decision was the technique he chose to use is illegal in the sport of boxing. His mounting frustration led to his, do what ever it takes to win, mode of thinking. It was an inexcusable act.
Floyd Mayweather on the other hand, handled the situation the best he knew how. After clearly outboxing and breaking down his opponent for several rounds, he relaxed and began putting on the finishing touches on the masterpiece he was painting. He could clearly see the desperation in his opponent eyes. The pressure of facing the best and realizing that there were no answers to solve the riddle had his opponent clamoring for solutions neither he nor his corner had the expertise to figure out. Mayweather continued his assault as he found the fight becoming increasingly easy to manage. While he was putting on a boxing clinic, his opponent had other ideas. His opponent decided to change the landscape of the fight and paint his own picture. Unfortunate for him, Floyd decided to take matters in his own hands and end the show.
After being penalized for headbutting, Victor Ortiz wanted to hug, kiss, and make up. I guess he was not the Badass he characterizes himself as. He started the rough tactics but decided he wanted to make up. It was like watching a person throw a rock at someone then hide his hands. He showed his immaturity on the biggest stage of his life. With the opportunity to seize the moment he panicked and folded under the pressure. He could not execute his potential.
If Victor Ortiz learned anything on this night it had to be to protect yourself at all times. The verbal warning that the referee gives before a bout starts finally made sense after he got up from a perfectly place two shot combination.