Soto got royaly screwed. His only hope for a big fight was holding a belt. Cortez made a terrible terrible call. The glancing punch was not intentional. Lorenzo went down then looked like he might get up. As a boxer your gut instinct tells you to keep throwing until the ref stepped in. Lorenzo was clearly outclassed and hurt and Cortez should have stepped in early but he hesitated. It was just an all around poor officiating by Cortez.
Real controversy was why Joe Cortez stepped in to stop the Soto fight, breaking up Soto's moment, but then backing away and not stopping it. I think once a ref decides to stop a fight and steps between them or puts his arm out to impede a fighter-that's it- he has to stop it. A ref cannot simply give a guy a time out. Soto is the far superior fighter and it was unfortunate that he had to get dq'd. He was knocking the hell out of Lorenzo, who was cut and bleeding so badly that it would make Henry Cooper wince. However, I can't say it was the wrong call either. Lorenzo was clearly down and Soto did throw a punch that hit him in the back of the head while he was down, which blow actually cut the back of Lorenzo's head as well.
I've been saying since Holyfield/Ruiz II how bad a ref Cortez is. You guys are just finally starting to see this.
At the bare minimu, it should have been a stoppage on the cut with a point deduction for the punch while he was down, but it wasn't the punch that caused the stoppage and therefore it shouldn't have resulted in a DQ. There was no ****ing way the fight could have continued with that cut. Blood was squirting three feet every time his heart beat. BS explanation, and normally a decision like that would be overturned later. Unfortunately, because the commissioner was there and he screwed up too, it's not going to get overturned.
I hope the guy never officiates a match again. It was disgraceful, it was robbery, it was absolutely horrible officiating and hopefully the decision will be protested and cortez will be forced to get a DAY JOB.
Correct me if I am wrong, guys, but I think it was ruled into a no-contest and a rematch was ordered.
DAMN, dude, that is a little harsh. Fire him? Yes, sure. But to wish harm on his wife and kids is a little overboard unless you condone violence against women. :-(
they over thought of the decision. the illegal blow glanced larenzo's nape and he acted like soto banged him with a sledgehammer. then raises his hands like he actually won something