Rudell Stitch vs. Gaspar Ortega (1st meeting)
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Gaspar Ortega 146 lbs beat Rudell Stitch 144 lbs by SD in round 10 of 10
- Date: 1959-02-06
- Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, USA
- Referee: Al Berl 7-6
- Judge: Tony Castellano 4-5
- Judge: Frank Forbes 6-4
"Gaspar Ortega, handicapped by a cut over his left eye suffered in the third round, broke a three-fight losing streak Friday night to take a split decision over Rudell Stitch of Louisville. The two boys came together in the third round and Stitch apologized as he backed away while blood started to flow from a cut over Ortega's left eye. Apparently it was an accidental butt. They took turns in a free-swinging scrap as the tide changed from round to round. Ortega, a 23-year-old Mexican, seemed to fight better after he got the eye cut. Standing his ground when Stitch rushed in, Gaspar drove home his right counter punches and also shook up his man with hooks to the body." - Associated Press
Notes
- Ortega was ranked sixth in the world at welterweight, and Stitch was unranked.
- Stitch was an 8-5 favorite.
- In the third round, Stitch and Ortega accidentally butted heads. Stitch wasn't hurt, but Ortega was staggering around. Stitch backed away and allowed Ortega's head to clear: he didn't believe in taking advantage of an opponent in such a situation.
- Referee Al Berl scored the fight 5-5 in rounds but gave it to Ortega by a score of 7-6, employing New York's supplemental point system for scorecards that are even in rounds.
- The Associated Press scored the fight 6-4 for Ortega, and United Press International had it 4-3-3 for Stitch. Seven out of twelve ringside sportswriters polled after the fight thought Ortega won the fight.
Post fight comment
- "I didn't mean it. I came up and just happened to hit him." - Rudell Stitch, explaining the accidental butt.