WORLDSPORTS
APRIL 2014
SWEET REVENGE
Pacquiao is looking to
get back at Bradley
I
t’s payback time for Fighter of the
Decade Manny Pacquiao when he goes
up against undefeated Timothy Bradley
in their grudge rematch on April 12 at
the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.
At stake are pride and the World Boxing
Organization (WBO) 147-pound title.
The first meeting between the two
ring warriors ended in controversy as the
American was awarded a split-decision
victory many believed he didn’t deserve.
The June 2012 decision was savaged
by fans, media and even Bob Arum, both
fighters’ promoter. They all believed
Pacquiao’s power and combinations had
beaten Bradley’s elusiveness and tactical
approach.
The split decision was so reviled that
the WBO hired five independent judges
to re-score the bout on video, and all five
favored Pacquiao.
During the Bradley bout, judge Jerry
Roth scored it 115-113 for Pacquiao, while
C.J. Ross and Duane Ford both saw it
115-113 for Bradley, even though it appeared Pacquiao hurt Bradley throughout the fight particularly with his straight
left hand.
The judges may have seen it differently, but post-fight punch statistics
showed that Pacquiao got the better of
Bradley.
Compubox statistics showed that
Pacquiao landed 190 of 493 power shots,
compared to just 108 of 390 punches for
Bradley, who won the fight on a split decision. Pacquiao landed a total of 253 of 751
punches, while Bradley was 159-of-839.
Unless one is Bradley’s distant relative or somebody who owes the fighter
a huge debt, the prevailing opinion
PACQUIAO VS
then was that Pacquiao was robbed of
a decision victory. Bradley was literally
harpooned by the critics in the boxing
world.
The WBO didn’t overturn the result,
but asked for a rematch — and after
both fighters boosted their careers with
victories last year, they were ready to do
it again.
Pacquiao, now 35 years old, and
trainer Freddie Roach both believe the
fighting congressman won essentially
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t h e g a m e sports magazine
every round in the first bout. But the
Pacman still wants to prove he’s back on
top of his game by avenging the loss that
snapped his 15-fight winning streak.
“I’m not angry anymore,” said Pacquiao, a world champion in eight weight
divisions and still regarded as one of the
best pound-for-pound boxers in the world
today along with another undefeated
American fighter, Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“I was surprised by the decision, but I’m
the kind of person that I respect the deci-
sion of the judges.”
But did Pacquiao agree that Bradley
gave him “a boxing lesson,” in the infamous words of judge Duane Ford?
“I think I gave him a boxing lesson,
and the judges gave him that,” Pacquiao
said with a smile.
And now that with the flamboyant
Mayweather seemingly satisfied with the
cheap thrill he is getting from bashing
Pacquiao in cyberspace, and with Marquez uninterested in a fifth showdown,