The fallout from the controversial decision in the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley Jr. welterweight title fight continued on Monday as Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said he has submitted a formal request to the office of Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto for a “full and complete inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the scoring” of Saturday’s fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Bradley was awarded a split decision and a 147-pound world title in a result that prompted worldwide condemnation because most thought Pacquiao dominated the fight.
However, judges Duane Ford and C.J. Ross, appointed by the Nevada State Athletic commission, each scored the fight 115-113 in favor of Bradley, a junior welterweight titleholder who had moved up in weight to challenge Pacquiao for his belt. Judge Jerry Roth scored the fight 115-113 in Pacquiao’s favor.
Nearly every media member at ringside, as well as HBO’s broadcasters, had the fight as a wide victory for Pacquiao and the crowd of 14,206 rained boos down when the result was announced.
“The public has a right to know (what happened). The fighters have a right to know,” said Arum, who promotes Pacquiao and Bradley. “The only way to restore fans’ confidence in boxing is by letting an independent body investigate every detail of the fight no matter how big or small. Sunshine never hurt anyone.”
Pacquiao appeared to hurt Bradley several times in the bout while Bradley, a much lighter hitter, never appeared to hurt Pacquiao.
Pacquiao also dominated in the CompuBox punch statistics, although judges do not have access to those stats during the fight. According to CompuBox, Pacquiao landed 253 of 751 punches (34 percent) while Bradley landed 159 of 839 (19 percent). Pacquiao also landed 82 more power punches (190-108) and landed more overall punches in 10 of the 12 rounds.
“These people don’t know how to score, they really don’t,” Arum, who has promoted fights for almost 50 years, said at the postfight news conference.
“What the hell were these people watching? … How can you watch a sport where you don’t see any motive for any malfeasance and yet come up with a result like we came up with tonight. How do you explain it to anybody?”
Arum also said the result was hurtful to boxing because it would turn off many fans, and perhaps sponsors.
“Something like this is so outlandish, it’s a death knell for the sport,” he said. “This is f—— nuts. I have both guys, and I’ll make a lot of money in the rematch, but it’s ridiculous. You have these old f—- who don’t know what the hell they’re looking at. It’s incompetence. Nobody who knows anything about boxing could have Bradley ahead in the fight.”
Pacquiao has a rematch clause in his contract and said after the fight he would exercise it. Arum had already had Nov. 10 on hold for Pacquiao’s next fight, be it a rematch with Bradley or against somebody else.
WRITTEN BY Dan Rafael | ESPN.com & FULL STORY HERE
