[Brutus]

Under fire by U.S. media for his handling of the Humberto Soto-Francisco Lorenzo clash two weeks ago in Las Vegas, referee Joe Cortez will be back in the limelight on Saturday. The "Fair but Firm" Cortez will be the third man in the ring for the HBO-televised IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight championship fight between world champion Wladimir Klitschko and WBO mandatory challenger Tony Thompson in Hamburg, Germany. Judges will include Michael Pernick (USA), John Stewart (USA) and Manfred Küchler (Germany).

source - fightnews.com

Wow i think this is kinda wierd since he made a highly contreversial call last weekend, what do you guys think?

 

[C.J.Rock]

Under fire by U.S. media for his handling of the Humberto Soto-Francisco Lorenzo clash two weeks ago in Las Vegas, referee Joe Cortez will be back in the limelight on Saturday. The "Fair but Firm" Cortez will be the third man in the ring for the HBO-televised IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight championship fight between world champion Wladimir Klitschko and WBO mandatory challenger Tony Thompson in Hamburg, Germany. Judges will include Michael Pernick (USA), John Stewart (USA) and Manfred Küchler (Germany).

source - fightnews.com

Wow i think this is kinda wierd since he made a highly contreversial call last weekend, what do you guys think?

That clown must have something on some high ranking people to keep getting the world title fights when he screws most of them up
He should be put out to grass immediately. No fighter I trained would fight in a bout he officiated thats for sure

 

[Brutus]

Yeah well altho i think Cortez has done some good reffing in the past i think its wierd that he gets to judge a world title fight right after that screw up last weekend, i think he should be given a month off or something since reffs should also be fined and stuff when they make mistakes.

 

[no dice nate]

He'll keep getting big fights until he's dead. Richard Steele thinks it's bogus.

 

[SugarShane]

I have no problem with it. The best fighter will win the fight. Soto won but got screwed. That's what it isn't being recognized.

 

[no dice nate]

Wlad will probably take it out of the ref's hands.

 

[Brutus]

Yeah aint nothing Cortez can do when Thompson is lying flat on his back. Well maby he can think of something but i doubt it

 

[TysonJones]

I think people are making to big of deals about who refs a fight. I mean come on now, just enjoy the fights. The best man will win one way or the other.

 

[pipios]

No more Cortes !!!!!!!!

He belongs to the NBA

 

[BALISTIK]

Obviously he was already chosen for that fight so I don't see the comission picking another ref at the last minute. And why would they do that? Unless a ref does blatantly biased stuff in the ring no ruling body will question him. They can't get fired for bad officiating.

 

[LeedsLad]

Obviously he was already chosen for that fight so I don't see the comission picking another ref at the last minute. And why would they do that? Unless a ref does blatantly biased stuff in the ring no ruling body will question him. They can't get fired for bad officiating.

This makes the most sense. I highly doubt he'd be picked for a big fight just a week after being involved in a controversial decision.

 

[C.J.Rock]

Obviously he was already chosen for that fight so I don't see the comission picking another ref at the last minute. And why would they do that? Unless a ref does blatantly biased stuff in the ring no ruling body will question him. They can't get fired for bad officiating.

They should be held accountable they should be subect to being fired
Joe Cortez cost Soto & Kirk Johnson world titles by horrendous officiating . He also robbed Ricky Hatton of what little chance he had against the now retired Floyd Mayweather.They are off the top of my head there are many more suspect decisions he's made

 

[no dice nate]

"Remember gentlemen, I'm fair but I'm firm." Why do referees have to have catch-phrases? How about Kenny Bayless' timeless tag? "What I say you must obey." Never gets old, right? Seriously, after Mills Lane, they all are just annoying as hell.

 

[Wicked Shot]

They should be held accountable they should be subect to being fired
Joe Cortez cost Soto & Kirk Johnson world titles by horrendous officiating . He also robbed Ricky Hatton of what little chance he had against the now retired Floyd Mayweather.They are off the top of my head there are many more suspect decisions he's made

LMAO! Is that the same fight where Ruiz hurt Johnson with a right in the 9th round? And Johnson pretty much tackled Ruiz as he went down? Your right, Cortez did blow that call. It was a legit knocked down that wasn't called. That was one of the worse heavyweight fights i seen. Johnson should be ashame of his performance. It looked like he didn't even want to be there. Cortez didn't cost Johnson anything. Johnson cost himself.

 

[DRPUGILIST]

"Remember gentlemen, I'm fair but I'm firm." Why do referees have to have catch-phrases? How about Kenny Bayless' timeless tag? "What I say you must obey." Never gets old, right? Seriously, after Mills Lane, they all are just annoying as hell.

Real talk, you cant forget that refs are humans and they want to be recognized. They think the more catchy the phrase the more popular they get, which gets them more high profile fights, which gets them more money. The more idiot refs are the ones that are always too close to the fighters so they can be in the frame or the ones that always want to break guys up as soon as they are close to each other and constantly warn for fouls that arent there(like the ref in Henry-Williams fight on WNF this week).

 

[DRPUGILIST]

LMAO! Is that the same fight where Ruiz hurt Johnson with a right in the 9th round? And Johnson pretty much tackled Ruiz as he went down? Your right, Cortez did blow that call. It was a legit knocked down that wasn't called. That was one of the worse heavyweight fights i seen. Johnson should be ashame of his performance. It looked like he didn't even want to be there. Cortez didn't cost Johnson anything. Johnson cost himself.

Yea but he knows Johnson and Cortez wasnt biased enough towards him, so it was bad officiating

 

[BALISTIK]

"Remember gentlemen, I'm fair but I'm firm." Why do referees have to have catch-phrases? How about Kenny Bayless' timeless tag? "What I say you must obey." Never gets old, right? Seriously, after Mills Lane, they all are just annoying as hell.

Haha word. I like Arthur Mercante's "god bless let's go toe to toe".

 

[NFFC]

No way Cortez should be reffing this :thumbsdown:

 

[Brutus]

They should be held accountable they should be subect to being fired
Joe Cortez cost Soto & Kirk Johnson world titles by horrendous officiating . He also robbed Ricky Hatton of what little chance he had against the now retired Floyd Mayweather.They are off the top of my head there are many more suspect decisions he's made

Kirk is/was horrible! Ruiz wouldave won that fight with or without Cortez and he was beating Kirk and Ruiz could also be complaining because of some bad calls, i just dont see what you see in Kirk since i always thought he was really bad and his performaces against Ruiz and Vitali should be all the proof you need.

 

[C.J.Rock]

LMAO! Is that the same fight where Ruiz hurt Johnson with a right in the 9th round? And Johnson pretty much tackled Ruiz as he went down? Your right, Cortez did blow that call. It was a legit knocked down that wasn't called. That was one of the worse heavyweight fights i seen. Johnson should be ashame of his performance. It looked like he didn't even want to be there. Cortez didn't cost Johnson anything. Johnson cost himself.

I was in Kirks corner with his cornermen. Cortez let Ruiz hold, Hold & hit ,elbow & headbutt carte blanche with not so much as a warning.
Including one of the most blatent headbutts Holyfield would have been proud of right in front of Cortez eyes Yet every bodyshot Kirk threw that hurt Ruiz he screamed low Cortez warned. It was a blatent one sided biased piece of officiating. Culminating in a terrific legitimate hook to the liver by Johnson. Ruiz writhed in agony screaming foul and as Ruiz was unable to continue Crooked Cortez DQ'd Johnson
Now Kirk and I have watched that fight many times times, there was a grand total of 2 blows that could have been considered low. Every other one Cortez ruled low was LEGIT. He was calling perfectly legit shots as foul because Ruiz gave an Oscar worthy acting job
A referee is supposed to SEE whether a blow is fair or foul not fall for the acting of the fighter he was protecting Cortez SUX