Round 1
A fast paced feeling out round. Berto goes down from what looked like an Ortiz left hand behind the head, the referee rules it a slip. A flurry of punches including vicious uppercuts from Ortiz sends Berto slumping into a corner with a minute left in the round. That is no slip. Berto is up quickly though. A crafty Berto avoids serious follow up from Ortiz and even lands a big shot of his own. Good opening round.
~Ortiz 10-8
(All three official judges score it 10-8 for Ortiz)
Round 2
Berto seems to still be recuperating for the first minute of the second round. Berto using the whole ring to avoid an aggressive Ortiz. A big right hand catches Ortiz on the chin moving forward while punching and Ortiz goes down, only his glove breaking his fall. Berto responds to Ortiz by scoring a knockdown of his own! Ortiz up quickly. Great start to the fight.
~Berto 10-8
(All three official judges score it 10-8 for Berto)
Round 3
A very aggressive Ortiz swarms Berto. It's a slugfest and they are trading punches. Ortiz literally snarls when he punches and Berto continually invites him to the inside for exchanges that Ortiz gets the better of in this round.
~Ortiz 10-9
(All three official judges score it 10-9 for Ortiz)
Round 4
"Stay off the ropes", they are telling Berto between rounds. The fighters trade shots early in the round and Berto is right back on the ropes where Ortiz is abusing him with a variety of punches. Berto invites him in and Ortiz obliges him by punching him.
~Ortiz 10-9
(All three official judges score it 10- for Ortiz)
Round 5
Ortiz warned between rounds by referee for punching behind head. More boxing from Berto to start the round until Ortiz backs him to the ropes and a similar pattern emerges of Berto inviting Ortiz to hit him. Which he does, often.
~Ortiz 10-9
(All three official judges score it 10-9 for Ortiz)
Round 6
Berto's corner is urging him to box and stay off the ropes. Slow start to the round. Berto looks determined to stay off the ropes and hit Ortiz in the middle of the ring which he does with a devastating right hand that sends Ortiz slamming to the canvas. Incredibly he rises at "three", though dazed. Berto swarms a hurt Ortiz and lands a huge right hand. With only seconds left in the round and the referee getting in a position to stop the fight, a right-left-left combo to the head from Ortiz sends Berto tumbling backwards and down. Berto rises very quickly. Early candidate for Round of the Year.
~10-10 Even
(One official judge scores 10-10, the other two score 10-9 for Berto)
Round 7
Grueling round with some holding developing. Berto lands a huge right hand that Ortiz walks through as they trade power shots. Berto having a good round and he does enough to win it by staying off the ropes and avoiding Ortiz's fight.
~Berto 10-9
(All three official judges score it 10-9 for Ortiz)
Round 8
Berto using his boxing skills to outwork Ortiz. Both fighters seems a bit tired. Ortiz warned by referee for hitting behind the head.
~Berto 10-9
(All three official judges score it 10-9 for Berto)
Round 9
"Be ballsy!", they tell Ortiz between rounds. Pace slowing down despite some decent fairly even exchanges. Ortiz warned again for a shot behind Berto's head. Berto wins the round by controlling the tempo of the round and fighting his fight.
~Berto 10-9
(Two official judges score 10-9 for Ortiz, one judge scores 10-9 for Berto)
Round 10
"All you have to do is box, it's so simple", they implore Berto between rounds. Another shot behind the head costs Ortiz a point and it's more from Berto selling it than Ortiz doing it flagrantly. Despite the best efforts of Berto to box as instructed, Ortiz takes the round on effective aggression though he loses a point for punching behind the head.
~Ortiz 9-9
(All three official judges score it 10-9 for Ortiz and remove one point from Ortiz for a foul)
Round 11
An aggressive Ortiz gets a tired Berto back where he wants him with Berto's back to the ropes and he punches away with fury like earlier in the fight. Uppercuts are landing through the guard of Berto as Berto again beckons Ortiz in. When Berto tries to box, Ortiz either outboxes him or out punches him. Showcase round for Ortiz.
~Ortiz 10-9
(All three official judges score it 10-9 for Ortiz)
Round 12
They are telling Ortiz in his corner that he is far ahead on the cards going into 12th round, by as many as five points. Berto is being told he needs a knockout to win. Fighters actually embrace to start the final round. Berto is getting in some potshots against Ortiz, who seems to fight the last round like he thinks he has the fight won but does not want to be accused of taking the last round off. He basically gives the round to Berto.
~Berto 10-9
(Two judges score 10-9 for Berto, one scored 10-9 Ortiz)
KO Digest Final Score: 113-113, a draw!
KO Digest scored the fight a draw live and scored it a draw when watching it again the next day on HBO. That is why at the post fight press conference we specifically asked Ortiz about the scores and whether or not he was certain of victory after the final bell. Apparently he was, saying, "I was certain of the victory, I don't know the scores. But in my mind and my heart a fighter always knows whether he won or lost. I didn't see it close and I knew I had pulled off the victory."
Photo Credit to Tom Hogan
Update: This blog caused a mini shit storm when I posted on the Boxing Scene FORUMS
Despite the protestations of the masses, George Kimball brings the matter into clarity for me by saying:
"While Berto seemed to have battled his way back into the contest, in the end it was a matter of too little, too late. Ortiz prevailed on the scorecards of all three ringside judges. Dr. Clark Sammartino had it a whopping 115-110, Julie Lederman 114-111, and Glen Feldman 114-112. Most ringside scribes had it much closer than that, and a sizeable proportion of press row narrowly favored Berto."
Thanks George!
