In a controversial fourth-round knockout, unbeaten Floyd Mayweather claimed the World Boxing Council welterweight championship against Victor Ortiz in Las Vegas.
At 2:59 of the fourth round, Mayweather delivered a left-right combination that caught Ortiz off-guard during a break in the action, striking while Ortiz had his hands at his side and was facing away.
Just seconds prior, the referee had paused the match to penalize Ortiz by deducting a point for head-butting Mayweather amidst a fierce exchange of punches in the corner.
After apologizing twice to Mayweather for the head butt, Ortiz turned to the referee for clarification, only to be caught by a surprising punch from Mayweather.
The crowd at the MGM Hotel and Casino expressed their disapproval when the referee awarded the victory to Mayweather, who had been narrowly ahead in the fight at 147 pounds through the first three rounds.
Now 42-0 with 26 knockouts, the 34-year-old Mayweather looked formidable despite taking a 16-month hiatus from the ring.
During the fourth round, as both fighters exchanged blows in a corner, Ortiz thrust his head forward, making contact with Mayweather, who was leaning against the ropes.
Mayweather, uninjured, promptly raised his concerns with the referee, who consequently halted the fight to penalize Ortiz. Ortiz quickly expressed his apologies to Mayweather.
The fighters then returned to the center of the ring, where Ortiz embraced Mayweather, offering a second apology.
As Ortiz dropped his hands and stepped back, Mayweather seized the moment with a swift left hook that stunned Ortiz, followed by a straight right that sent Ortiz to the canvas while the referee was distracted.
Leading up to that moment, Ortiz had been performing well, demonstrating that he was more than just a preparatory opponent for Mayweather in anticipation of a potential bout with Filipino champion Manny Pacquiao next year.
With a record now at 29-3-2, including 22 knockouts, the 24-year-old Ortiz was fighting for the second time as a legitimate welterweight.
Buford Balony says: Mayweather, toughen up and stop ducking Manny.