Does anyone feel any sympathy for Joe Cortez?

It seems like Joe Cortez's name is mud these days, synonymous with incompetence.

But up until the Hatton fight he was considered one of the very best referees in the world and one of the most popular.

It seems that old age has caught up with him and he's no longer able to control the action as he once was.

I agree he shouldn't be in charge of any major fights again but I it's sad to see his reputation be so destroyed based on the past year alone.

When a fighter gets old we are understanding when they can't do it any more. I think Cortez should retire now but I hope his reputation as a gret referee for many years is still upheld.

Up to the Hatton fight I thought he was a great ref. I was very happy with the appointment of him for Hatton - PBF.

After round 1 I thought, fuck this best not go on all night. It did. Ever since Hatton-Floyd he's fucked up and been awful. I agree he should retire now though, he's unfit to ref top fights.

I don't think its been a case of him getting older and losing something he once had. Its more of him making himself a big factor at huge fights he should not be a big factor in. I think his full of himself with that "im fair but im firm" bullshyt.

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Originally Posted by Bilbo

It seems like Joe Cortez's name is mud these days, synonymous with incompetence.

But up until the Hatton fight he was considered one of the very best referees in the world and one of the most popular.

It seems that old age has caught up with him and he's no longer able to control the action as he once was.

I agree he shouldn't be in charge of any major fights again but I it's sad to see his reputation be so destroyed based on the past year alone.

When a fighter gets old we are understanding when they can't do it any more. I think Cortez should retire now but I hope his reputation as a gret referee for many years is still upheld.

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I have no sympathy for him its peoples career livelyhoods on the line and he has called his last 3 fights all wrong.

Im not sure Pernell Whitiker would agree he was a great referee until the Hatton/Mayweather farce he had it in for Sweatpea also.

Out side of the UK, I dont think too may people thought he was all that bad in the Hatton fight; but, what he did to Soto last night is unforgivable.

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Originally Posted by lance Uppercut

Out side of the UK, I dont think too may people thought he was all that bad in the Hatton fight; but, what he did to Soto last night is unforgivable.

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That is a bold statement.

I might have a little sympathy for Cortez if he gets ran over by a train....maybe.

Every referee has their hiccups and bad fights, all of them. I had no qualms which his job in the Calzaghe-Hopkins fight, didn't see anything wrong there. I recently watched the Hatton-Mayweather bout for the first time since the week of the fight and I can see where Hatton had a legitimate case against Cortez.

What happened last night was a joke. He looked completely flustered and I think the only way he could have handled it worse would be if Lorenzo had his jaw broke and didn't want to continue but made him anyways. That's what it reminded me of, absolutely bizarre.

Cortez isn't a bad guy, I know one person who is friends with him and says he's a great guy. But he's had a mini-run of bad officiating. I don't think he had any sort of a slant against Soto I think he just overthought that fight. He stepped in, pulled out, stepped in, pulled out then the hit happened, it should have been ignored especially since you couldn't blame Soto for not respecting Cortez stepping in when Cortez had already stepped in and then let it continue. He overthought things, should have realized that Lorenzo wasn't continuing not because of the grazing hit behind the head but because of the other punches that rearranged his nose and tore his skin to shreds. But in a big moment on HBO, he probably got flustered and we got a DQ. A bad call I would hope Cortez would admit it today if he had a chance to rewatch the fight.

Hey,Hindsight is 20/20 but No.The Thing that gets me is that he was sooo indecisive.Jumping in and out repeatedly.Never called the final Knockdown as a KD and at least began a count to put a sense of urgency into Lorenzo so that he would at least make an effort to get up,you'd be surprised what that reality check can do in the past,Then deduct points before a flat out DQ for an inconsiquencial....He was not laying on his back until a minute or two later while Cortez walked around with his hands on his hips.

To my knowledge,Cortez has only ruled 4 DQ outcomes over career.He was also at the switch and awarded the Molinares "KO" over Starling Legit...only to be over ruled later.His DQ of Paez Vs.Vida Ramos1 was instant and Immediate (It was also years ago for him) after Paez hit Ramos with a right when Ramos was dropped with legit left hook body shot.Ramos even had time to turn,look at Cortez after being hit turn back and then proceeded to lay flat,face first on the canvas as the officials milled about.Right after the announcment he was standing up holding his body big time....his head was, from all appearences just fine!Last night just turned my stomach.....Hey,The WBC has refused to acknowledge it and ordered an Immediate rematch from what Ive seen so soto will get his just due let us hope.

No I dont feel sorry for Cortez. Its his job to referee and if he cant do that then he shouldnt be in that job . Simple as that.

I don't know if sympathy is the right word. It is a difficult job, but he's been lousy for awhile. He did a poor job in Hopkins-Allen 3, i tseemed like he was bending over backwards for Hopkins after Hopkins threatened to pull out. He was horrendous in Quartey-Bojorquez and Williams-Pakau. Refs who let fights go on for rounds too long make the fights extra dangerous for the combatants. Then came the Mayweather-Hatton bout, which Cortez also did not do a good job, but it didn't bother me as much as the forementioned.

Whom I do feel some sympathy for is Richard Steele. He was a solid ref for awhile, who made some mistakes, but got booed all the time, and people on message boards say he was corrupt and in Don King's pocket. I see little evidence of this, especially when people are discussing Chavez-Taylor I. Duva claimed they didn't want Steele because he had this history of favoring King fighters. But Duva proved to be a liar in that HBO Legendary Nights episode anyway. Where is this evidence of fights where Steele favored King fighters BEFORE Chavez-Taylor I? Tyson-Bruno I is the closest I can think of. A year after Chavez-Taylor I, Steele did a poor job of stopping Tyson-Ruddock I, but his point deductions against Chavez in the first Randall fight made the difference in the judges's scorecards. If not for Steele's point deductions, Chavez would've kept his "0" on that night.

Its easy for any of us to sit behind our computers and criticize these guys and say what we would have done, but under that kind of pressure, with the livelyhoods of the athletes at stake, I think we have to forgive these guys for making the odd mistake. I had no problem with Joe Cortez in the Hatton/Floyd fight, and I suspect the only people who have a problem with it are the Floyd haters.

I was watching the Setanta feed and that commentator, Steve Bunce had a funny remark on Cortez. He called Joe out on being indecisive and asking all the officials at ringside. He said "Cortez looked like a prostitute the way he was going around and chatting up all the officials", hehe thats a ugly ho....

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Originally Posted by No Contest

I was watching the Setanta feed and that commentator, Steve Bunce had a funny remark on Cortez. He called Joe out on being indecisive and asking all the officials at ringside. He said "Cortez looked like a prostitute the way he was going around and chatting up all the officials", hehe thats a ugly ho....

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Steve Bunce is the most talented sports pundit in UK, really funny fella.

Cortez is a joke...