Boxer Humberto Soto Says Racist Referee Joe Cortez Cost Him Francisco Lorenzo Fight

On Saturday night, referee Joe Cortez disqualified boxer Humberto Soto for an illegal punch in his WBC super featherweight title fight against Francisco Lorenzo. I and nearly all observers thought it was a bad decision by Cortez, but Soto says it was more than that: According to Soto, it was a racist decision:

In that video, Soto said in Spanish, "I think the ref is a racist. Everyone watching saw me win the fight." Cortez is Puerto Rican, Soto is Mexican and Lorenzo is Dominican.

Cortez completely botched the ending of the fight, which Soto had dominated before Cortez ruled that Soto hit Lorenzo when Lorenzo was down. But suggesting that Cortez was motivated by racism is a hell of an accusation, and Soto provides no evidence. Refs screw up sometimes. That doesn't mean there are ulterior motives.

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Argentina's champion Marcela Acuna (R) punches challenger Canada's Danielle Bouchard during their super bantamweight WBA boxing title bout at Luna Park Arena in Buenos Aires July 3, 2008. REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian (ARGENTINA)

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Argentina's Hugo Garay is lifted in the air after defeating Ukraine's Yuri Barashian to win the WBA Light Heavyweight boxing title at the Luna Park Arena in Buenos Aires July 4, 2008. REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian (ARGENTINA)

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Ukraine's Yuri Barashian rests after being defeated by Argentina's Hugo Garay during their WBA Light Heavyweight boxing title fight at the Luna Park Arena in Buenos Aires July 4, 2008. REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian (ARGENTINA)

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Argentina's Hugo Garay (L) punches Ukraine's Yuri Barashian during their WBA Light Heavyweight boxing title fight at the Luna Park Arena in Buenos Aires July 4, 2008. REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian (ARGENTINA)

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Argentina's Hugo Garay (R) punches Ukraine's Yuri Barashian during their WBA Light Heavyweight boxing title fight at the Luna Park Arena in Buenos Aires July 4, 2008. REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian (ARGENTINA)

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Argentina's currently champion Marcela Acuna (R) and her challenger Danielle Bouchard of Canada wave to the public after their super bantamweight WBA boxing title bout at Luna Park Arena in Buenos Aires July 3, 2008. Acuna won the fight by points. REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian (ARGENTINA)

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Argentina's champion Marcela Acuna (R) throws a punch at challenger Canada's Danielle Bouchard during their super bantamweight WBA boxing title bout at Luna Park Arena in Buenos Aires July 3, 2008. REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian (ARGENTINA)

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Argentina's champion Marcela Acuna (L) throws a punch at challenger Canada's Danielle Bouchard during their super bantamweight WBA boxing title bout at Luna Park Arena in Buenos Aires July 3, 2008. REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian (ARGENTINA)

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Argentina's boxer Hugo Garay is lifted in the air after winning the light heavyweight WBA boxing title against Yuri Barashian of Ukraine at Luna Park Arena in Buenos Aires July 4, 2008. REUTERS/Enrique Marcarian (ARGENTINA)

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