Those who were looking for another fight-of-the-year candidate were in for quite a disappointment as Lucas Matthysse (36-3, 34 KOs) scored a controversial second-round knockout victory over Roberto Ortiz (31-1-1, 24 KOs) at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The scheduled 12-round fight was the co-main event of a card presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Showtime Sports.
After a nearly two-round feeling out process, Matthysse landed a short left hook to the liver while exchanging punches with Ortiz.
Ortiz grimaced, spit his mouthguard out, and took a knee.
That’s when it all went downhill.
Ortiz, like a veteran, took his time to recover from the knockdown, but waited a bit too long to get up.
Usually, it is advisable to get up at the count of eight, but Ortiz waited until the count of nine, technically getting up at the count of nine and a half, which is when referee Benjy Esteves Jr. called the fight.
When asked about the early stoppage in his post-fight interview with Showtime’s Jim Gray, Matthysse stated, “I got him really well in the body, but he got up in the ten-count. If he had gotten up before, I would have continued fighting.”
Ortiz’ corner felt otherwise, but it would have been a lot better if Ortiz had gotten up at by the count of eight instead of forcing the referee to make a terrible mistake.
Matthysse, a 31-year-old native of Chubut, Argentina scores yet another knockout victory and wants a rematch with Danny Garcia, but would also settle for a fight with Adrien Broner.
“I want to fight Danny Garcia, I want the rematch. Tell him not to be a chicken. Tell him to stop fighting fighters of the third and fourth level. He needs to give me the rematch, because I want to fight him,” concluded Matthysse.
All photos by Naoki Fukada
