I recently was afforded an opportunity to speak to Hall Of Fame referee, Joe Cortez. Cortez served as a referee for some of the biggest fights in boxing history and while he is retired from the ring, he stays close to the sport with his boxing commentating job with ESPN Deportes. In my interview with Joe, I get his thoughts on the two mega fights that were recently made in the middleweight division, Golovkin vs. Lemieux and Canelo vs. Cotto. I also talk to Joe about Floyd Mayweather choosing to face Andre Berto and the future of Manny Pacquiao. Here is what Joe Cortez had to say.
Robert Brown: What are your thoughts on the upcoming match between David Lemieux and Gennady Golovkin?
Joe Cortez: I think it’s going to be a very interesting fight. ‘GGG’ is a great fighter who has a great punch and is undefeated. I think that Lemieux is another excellent fighter. He doesn’t have the experience that Golovkin has but he’s a fighter who has a great record, good puncher.
Lemieux can be dangerous if he catches Golovkin, but Golovkin has a lot of experience and has been in there with some tough fighters and has proven himself to be one of the top middleweights in the world right now. He’s hoping that in the very near future he can get a unification fight with Cotto and become the undisputed middleweight champion of the world.
It could be an interesting fight. Lemieux is a fighter who’s hungry, he’s young, but doesn’t have the experience. On paper, Golovkin looks good but anything can happen in boxing when a fighter has a punch. You gotta give Lemieux a punchers chance.
Robert Brown: What are your thoughts on the fight between Saul Alvarez and Miguel Cotto?
Joe Cortez: Canelo Alvarez is a young and hungry fighter, he’s already been a world champion, so he’s a very well seasoned fighter. He’s still young and he’s fighting Miguel Cotto, who is a very well experienced fighter, who has seen his better days. It’s gonna be a fight where the fighter with a lot of experience is fighting a fighter who’s young, a great puncher, good body puncher and has pretty good defense.
I think it’s gonna be a very interesting fight but I favor Canelo because Cotto is going to try to hurt this guy early but Canelo Alvarez is a good puncher with either hand and has the stamina to go the distance, whereas Cotto seems to start to fade out when his fights go into the later rounds.
I think it will be a stoppage in the later rounds, anywhere between the eighth and tenth rounds, and I gotta favor Canelo in this fight. Cotto has seen his better days and he’s coming towards the tail end of his career.
Robert Brown: What are your thoughts on Mayweather possibly fighting Andre Berto next?
Joe Cortez: I think it’s going to be an interesting fight. Mayweather is looking for his 49th win, he’s been champion for the last seventeen consecutive years and he’s definitely one of the better fighters out there today, pound-for-pound.
Mayweather’s thirty eight years old, but he’s fighting like a twenty two year old man. He has all the boxing skills as a young fighter but with a lot of experience under his belt. Andre Berto is a fair fighter, he’s competitive, but no danger for Floyd Mayweather.
Robert Brown: What do you think of the prospect of Mayweather possibly retiring on a fight like Berto? Do you think that’s the right thing to do, particularly if he wants to go down as one of the best ever?
Joe Cortez: If he wants to break the Marciano record, if he wants to go for 50 wins, a fighter like Floyd Mayweather who doesn’t get hit that often and doesn’t get hurt. He says he’s gonna retire with this fight, I think that’s just a lot of talk coming out of his mouth because I don’t think that a fighter is going to pass up a couple hundred million dollars just because this is last fight with Showtime. I don’t think he’s gonna walk away, I think he’s gonna be back next year to fight a couple more fights before he retires.
Robert Brown: If Mayweather signs an extension to take more fights, who would you like to see him fight?
Joe Cortez: There’s not many guys at his weight class. He will have to step up to 154lbs again. He fought Canelo Alvarez, it’s a possibility he could fight Canelo again in a rematch at 154lbs. Everyone says Golovkin, but he’s a middleweight and Floyd Mayweather will never be a middleweight.
We’ll have to see who is up and coming that would be interesting for him to fight. Mayweather will never fight a middleweight, that’s definitely out of the picture, especially ‘GGG’. He may fight a heavyweight but not Golovkin.
Robert Brown: How do you think Manny Pacquiao will do when he comes back?
Joe Cortez: If Manny Pacquiao comes back, it’s going to be a hard sell but anything is doable. Money talks in boxing and if they can sell it and if they can market it right, you never know, it could happen.
Robert Brown: Would you like to see a rematch between Pacquiao and Mayweather? Do you think there would have been any difference if Pacquiao’s shoulder was one hundred percent?
Joe Cortez: I don’t think so. I think that Pacquiao’s style is a perfect style for Mayweather, he stays open too much when he throws punches and I don’t think that’s ever going to happen. It may happen but it’s gonna be a fight where I don’t Pacquiao could ever beat Mayweather. Fans are never going to see Mayweather in a slugfest, he’s not a slugger, so he’s gonna go out there to box. It would be the same type of fight but the people are not gonna buy the second one.
FULL INTERVIEW HERE ICLUDING THOUGHTS ON POTENTIAL PACQUIAO KHAN AND PACQUIAO CRAWFORD MATCH UPS
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEUKfDnM0cw
Mr. Robert, if Pacquiao will ever have a rematch against Floyd i think it will be tougher fight for both because, when your enemy beats you up the first you will revenge and do better next time. I will root for Pacquiao for the rematch.
The opposite is true. Duran-leonard 2, leonard-hearns 2, Tyson-Holyfield 2, Maywather-Castillo 2, maywather-maidana 2, Oscar-Mosley 2, Pacquiao-Bradley 2, never were as competitive as the first one. Not even Pacquiao-Marquez 2. Floyd schooled pacquiao. Won by wide margin. A Rematch will be even easier for maywather.
Floyd schooled Pacquiao? He stole from Pacquiao is the more appropriate term. Floyd was pick apart by Manny with combinations, lightning counters and brilliant defense. Most of Floyd’s shot were blocked by Mann’s gloves. What did Floyd do? Run like a chicken, hug like a bear, elbowed, push, slap, pittty-patty, low-blow, bad-acting like he was winning in the last round and then run some more.
You absolutely right buddy. If I get beat, i will deffinately put a revenge of my enemy
this joe cortez is a clear fan of fraud gayweather jr., — yours truly. he is very stupid. if manny would have a rematch with fraud, cortez said it would result similarly as the first fight. according to this stupid boxing ref manny’s style is catered for fraud’s style. are you delusional joe? fraud runs all night. hug all night. clinch all night. afraid all night……. then you say …… fuck……..fucking idiot!!!
I agree. What Cortez is saying is a joke.
Your a typical boring idiot. GROW UP and change the record.
who you talking to? relax man, just share your openion. Pacquioa will Flyod in rematch
I was saying that Pacquioa will beat Floyd
Was that the ref who collaborated in that “SUCKER PUNCH” WWE circus? it not surprising coz he’s a puppet of that chicken duck.
Have the fight in another location and we’ll see how Joe will react.
Mayweather Threw and landed more punches and power punches than pacquiao and you are suggesting that Pacquiao was robbed? Bro, being a fan of a fighter doesn’t mean you have to be stupid
This Joe Cortez been long time in boxing world but had so much scum on his officiating as a referee…you are totally wrong….how could the scared Floyd beat Pacquiao on the second time? Maybe if Cortez will be the middlemen and do it again in Las Vegas with Floyd’s pay-rolled boxing bodies.
Like he beat him the first…duh?
For Pacquiao to have a fighting chance vs. ScumWeather, they need a competent & objective referee in the ring.
Joe Cortez, Kenny BrainLess, & Luis Pabon are 3 of the most inept, incompetent, & biased refs of all time.
* Joe Cortez allowed Floyd Jr. to use his forearms, elbows, & shoulder to hit but hardly gave Mayweather any warnings in the ring during the fight(s). Then he had the audacity to caution other refs to watch out for Floyd’s dirty tactics.
* * Kenny BrainLess worships Floyd. Historically he’s allowed excessive holding by Floyd. In the Maidana rematch, a sportswriter counted about 70 clinches the Jail Jr. initiated yet, BrainLess only gave him soft warnings… He did same with Pacquiao.
* * * Luis Pabon is the most disgraceful dumb-azz ref of all time.
You pactards are such losers and haters anytime someone goes against pacman you all get upset why dont you all get a life. He lost because he wasn’t able to take his steroids. The injury that he, was, suppose to have had you know the one where he would be out for 3-6 months and he already practicing after 3 weeks are you clowns for real. If thats, not fake you all are dumber than you think. So STFU
Don’t waste yourself
After 3 weeks? where is the link? If you don’t have any proof then suck it up and admit you are a liar.
tell your Floyd to have a rematch with Pacman
I like your comment
People pay to see a real fight not hugging, clinching, running and not a mafia dominated fight. And fight like a man. Even your not a winner whith your bloody face..people will still admire you. The money they paid will be worthed.
Pacquiao’s losses are more impressive than mayweather’s wins.
Oh yeah the Marquez knock out was brilliant. Fool.
lucky punch, ha! Pacquioa will beat Marquez every time
Idiot.
Floyd should consider fighting Joshua Clottey next.
joe cortez is a scam referee he protects mayweather its good for boxing that hes retire already he didnt give a fair to victor ortiz also the marquez pacquiao 1 he really hates pac for all of his achievement worldwide fame in and out of the ring hes the one most overatted referees in boxing and incompetent i wish this old man not to become a boxing judge in the future
Wow….so many sore loses in the world. Floyd may as well fight Kilitchko for that matter. Mo matter what this man does in the ring as a boxer…not a slugger or brawler…the sport is called B-O-X-I-N-G, he will never get his props. Hit and don’t get hit is key…all of toy are a bunch of casual idiots who needs another saviour bc Pacroid got embarrassed and his dumb shoulder got allegedly torn/hurt after the 7th rd. Wow, what a lot of powerful swinging and missing can do to your record, fanboy and career…lol so sad. Let the bandwagon erstwhile now take on GGG because they have no one left to try and claim. Your boy Pac is a liar and cheat, got exposed and let you down. His whole camp are crooks who claimed he’d do SO much against Floyd..just like the other previous 47…and then 48. Failures!! Flow went and did what he said he’d do, what he always did and couldn’t be stopped. Then you say he ran? LOL…he stood there and Pac couldn’t connect…it’s called boxing and great footwork, excellent movement and dominant counterpunching. Stop crying. The story of a young, black man from a single parent household from the ‘hood who worked his way to the top and is now filthy rich. Manny is definitely not a saint. We all know his past as well, so all of you are the pots calling the kettle black, as expected! Hate on….God is watching!
Floyd admitted to having prior knowledge of Mannys injury. Notice how he constantly ran to Mannys right knowing Manny could not physically throw a right hook. Floyd even threw punches at Mannys shoulder several times. And if novody noticed yet, with all the running Floyd never tires. The reason for that is the strong possibility of blood doping. Floyd openly admitted to a “vampire facial”. Same as Lance Armstrong. And after seeing Compu-hoax exposed counting punches for Floyd on blatant misses and not counting for Manny on blatant landing punches. Along with YouTube videos showing the fight at 50% speed the fight becomes a much different fight deserving of a much different outcome. Floyd with his chosen refs, home court advantage, dirty tactics and inability to get a warning no matter how much he hugs, holds, elbows, runs, sucker punches…etc… Is facilitating a 49-0 which should be an absolute joke to real boxing fans. With losses to Castillo, Maidana 1 (arguably 2), Pacquiao. And draws to Cotto, Maidana 2, and De La Hoya- He should be 42-3-3 or 41-3-3 (1NC) In the Ortiz fix, I mean fight. Marciano never had this issue. So there should no comparison in careers.
Paceman is a fraud
Just sabotage Pac took him plenty of blood never allowed him a legal numbing injection and give Floyd all advantages turf, inject cylocain give him judges and referee perfect formula of winning the fight The yeah
Packman can’t fight. Even if he would’ve been allowed to take his steroids it would’ve made the fight more interesting but it wouldn’t have made a difference. Pacquaio is a loser. He did what losers do on the big stage. It’s what I’ve come to expect from him. It’s what I’ve come to expect from his fans too.
“If Manny Pacquiao comes back, it’s going to be a hard sell but anything is doable”, a statement from biased Cortez but he should be reminded that the fight between Mayweather and Pacman is a record highest grossing boxing match. He never appreciate the contribution of Pacquiao in boxing. He should watch the slow motion replay of Mayweather fights against Pacquiao at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEUKfDnM0cw
for him to see how Pacquiao beat Mayweather.
He is cheating himself by not telling the truth and probably he has still concience to teach the right judgement to his son if he will watch the replay with his son.
May you be guided by your heart honestly.
I think it will be more intertaining for the second time because when your enemy beats you the first time you will fight back and do better at th second time.
I think Pacquiao will beat him at the second fight just like a revenge for your enemy.
MR. CORTEZ WHO? AH YA , A FAVORITE MIDDLEMAN OF TBE= TOTAL BOOOOOED EVER.
Mayweather has never lost a fight in his career you lot are a bunch of idiots who just hate mayweather clearly.
What is it that he has more money than all of you put together or is it his flash banter manny had his chance and messed up what boxer would go into a fight against the best out there with an injury. someone who wanted the payday that’s who instead of hating mayweather maybe you should look at your pathetic manny as a fraud.
Mayweather vs Pacman 2, Mayweather will end up in hospital.
SORE LOSER…IT WONT HAPPEN…TOO MANY EXC– USES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3DMHJ9A3pM
Coming from a the ref that allowed Floyd, by looking the other way, cheap shot Victor Ortiz.