By John F. McKenna (McJack): When now former WBC welterweight champion Victor “Vicious” Ortiz (29-3-2, 22 KO’s) lost it Saturday night and charged into new champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather (42-0, 26 KO’s) head first was he having a meltdown?
It must have been pretty clear by the 4th round to a fighter of Ortiz’ temperament, who must have studied Mayweather inside and out in preparation for the fight of his life, that he was in over his head. “Vicious” must also have known that Mayweather is a master strategist at figuring out and adapting to his opponents. Ortiz knew that as the fight progressed, Floyd would only get better, not worse.
In essence Victor Ortiz had to know that there was no way he could legitimately win against Floyd Mayweather. He could not land effectively and he was being consistently outpunched. During the four rounds the fight lasted Ortiz was hit with 31 of Floyd’s jabs, while he landed none. To make matters worse, Floyd was hitting Victor with right hand leads. When an opponent is able to hit you with a right hand land he is sending you a message. The message is that he has your number and can do with you pretty much what he wants.
Ask any fighter who has ever been in that predicament. It is a frustrating and almost hopeless feeling to know that in spite of all the hard work you have put into the preparation for a given fight, you opponent is having his way with you. By the time you reach that point you have very few options. You can either fight on as Tomasz Adamek did a week ago and a half ago against Vitali Klitschko knowing that you are going to lose. Or you can look for an opportunity to bow out and hope for the best as Zab Judah appeared to do against Amir Khan in July.
It is my belief that things were going to get worse for Ortiz as the fight progressed and that eventually he was going be either knocked out or suffer a humiliating defeat. No one really knows what goes on in the mind of a boxer who cannot cope with the fighter in front of him. But Victor’s actions were puzzling to say the least. What was he thinking when he bored in and head butted Mayweather cutting his lip? What was Ortiz thinking when he planted a kiss on Floyd’s cheek and then stood with his hands down after referee Joe Cortez had given the go ahead to continue?
It appeared to some as though Ortiz was having a meltdown and looking for a way out without actually quitting as he did in the Maidana fight.
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