by: Atty. Miguel Cleofas Asuten
The scoring travesty in boxing manipulated by three judges in Las Vegas, Nevada between Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley last June 9, 2012 has been gaining a world-wide uproar addressed to sports authorities for the reversal of the judges’ ruling and their eventual punishment such as early retirement or banishment for life in judging future boxing bouts.
One of the “three blind mice,” Duane Ford admitted in a recent interview by Jim Lampley in his “The Fight Game” show that the first six rounds of the fight went to Pacquiao but Bradley tired Pacquiao in later rounds. Ford continued his bewildering statement adding insult to injury that “Pacquiao could have finished Bradley off in the fourth round. xxx He was not the Manny Pacquiao I have judged before.” If Pacman got the first six rounds, why Ford did not know a very basic arithmetic that 6 rounds + 6 rounds = 12 rounds? The plain conclusion of the boxing bout could have been and at the very least, a draw. Ford clearly set his own standard by judging Pacquiao as his previous fights that could have easily led to Bradley’s only knockout loss of his career. With more reason that Ford should be investigated if this is his personal standard and be stripped off of his tarnished license as a boxing judge. The sport of boxing can never linger in the shadow of incompetent and should I say, corrupt boxing judges only to ruin the integrity and popularity of the sport. More dubious to me was the unanimous scoring of the “three blind mice” in the 7th round as all taken by Bradley when Pacquiao outpunched Bradley, 27-11 in that round. Is this the outcome’s conspiracy or prophecy?
Although personally as boxing fanatic, I am in favor of investigation surrounding the circumstances declaring Bradley as the undeserving and masquerading winner, I cannot further agree that such investigation be conducted by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). What could we expect if NSAC does the investigation against its own incompetent and corrupt employees? WBO President Francisco Varcarcel entered the scene by ordering NSAC the review of the boxing video with early pronouncement that the fight was really close and difficult to judge. What a posture of sanctioning organization head who wants to manipulate again the upcoming investigation results! How could the WBO President say “review” when he already concluded that the fight was so close and difficult to judge? How come that the fight turned out to be close when more than 90% of all world sport writers, analysts and websites scored the fight with Pacquiao as the runaway winner? How come that the fight was difficult to judge when only several factors are to be considered in scoring boxing: ring generalship or dominance, aggressiveness, fighting style and what more? Punches? Pacquiao dominated the boxing statistics for that particular bout as it appears in CompuBox. What expert eyes these judges are saying that the ordinary eyes could not have seen? Well yes! We saw that crime of robbery in a broad daylight, in flagrante delicto, against a Philippine Congressman. True judges! This is not American Idol with the outcome being dictated by thrilled, serenaded or flirted audience. This is boxing and unfortunately the results are falsely tailored by such dubbed “experts”?
Investigation per se without rectification of the boxing results is a complete stupidity. The NSAC recommendation that will come out later can never make any turning point in boxing history but the usual and shameful rematch of fighters. And to Pacquiao, it will not make him anything good but his acceptance of the rematch is only sanctioning and dignifying the boulevard of fraud in boxing. Even if it happens, I will never watch Pacquiao doing the World Puppet Show of Bob Arum, the king of folly, most historic manipulator and world-renowned Pontius Pilate of the sport. If I were Pacquiao, I would rather chase arch nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez for a fourth match, even if unpopular, and prove to the world that he really deserved the victory last November 2011 or pursue negotiations with Floyd “Money” Mayweather who, I think, may now accede after all the prison and family issues that pulverized his character as a boxing superstar of Uncle Sam’s America.
Ordering rematch between Pacquiao and Bradley is a plain idiocy to figure out. Why push through with the rematch when Pacman was the clear winner in the eyes of millions or even billions of people around the world? The best way to revitalize boxing as a sport is to get rid of NSAC and these sanctioning bodies like WBO, WBC, IBF, etc. There must be an independent world boxing commission that will man boxing fights and protect the integrity of boxing results unlike now that they can easily manipulate the outcome because of speaking money($). For now, thanks to Sens. McCain and Reid for their efforts to create a federal boxing commission.
Speaking of financial equilibrium, Pacquiao has been the biggest milking cow and piggy bank of Top Rank for several years and Bob Arum could not agree less when dealing with money, more money or most money. Well, it seems that Arum wanted Manny to lose so he can give Manny less. Unfortunately, Pacman still has something to prove in boxing. What an astute promoter in Arum fielding his own Top Rank scorer with Bradley in score card as the manhandled winner. Oh My Arum! It appears now that NSAC, WBO and Top Rank fashioned the sweet conspiracy against God-renewed Pacquiao in the Sin City of Vegas?
Nevertheless, Filipinos are still very proud that one of the greatest boxers of all time happened to be with the same citizenship as ours. We are indebted that our generation witnessed and still witnessing Manny Pacquiao on high definition videos and digital cameras, live coverage of boxing matches on pay per views, LED televisions, countless articles on websites and commentaries on print and broadcast media. The first 8-division boxing champion should now chase the best boxing match of his career and thereafter hang his boxing gloves for good. From then on Pacquiao, no more fraud. No more Arums. Greed and fraud have no place in the sport of boxing because if they do exist, we can simply say, “RIP Boxing”. @mikeasuten, twitter.com
The scoring travesty in boxing manipulated by three judges in Las Vegas, Nevada between Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley last June 9, 2012 has been gaining a world-wide uproar addressed to sports authorities for the reversal of the judges’ ruling and their eventual punishment such as early retirement or banishment for life in judging future boxing bouts.One of the “three blind mice,” Duane Ford admitted in a recent interview by Jim Lampley in his “The Fight Game” show that the first six rounds of the fight went to Pacquiao but Bradley tired Pacquiao in later rounds. Ford continued his bewildering statement adding insult to injury that “Pacquiao could have finished Bradley off in the fourth round. xxx He was not the Manny Pacquiao I have judged before.” If Pacman got the first six rounds, why Ford did not know a very basic arithmetic that 6 rounds + 6 rounds = 12 rounds? The plain conclusion of the boxing bout could have been and at the very least, a draw. Ford clearly set his own standard by judging Pacquiao as his previous fights that could have easily led to Bradley’s only knockout loss of his career. With more reason that Ford should be investigated if this is his personal standard and be stripped off of his tarnished license as a boxing judge. The sport of boxing can never linger in the shadow of incompetent and should I say, corrupt boxing judges only to ruin the integrity and popularity of the sport. More dubious to me was the unanimous scoring of the “three blind mice” in the 7th round as all taken by Bradley when Pacquiao outpunched Bradley, 27-11 in that round. Is this the outcome’s conspiracy or prophecy?
Although personally as boxing fanatic, I am in favor of investigation surrounding the circumstances declaring Bradley as the undeserving and masquerading winner, I cannot further agree that such investigation be conducted by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). What could we expect if NSAC does the investigation against its own incompetent and corrupt employees? WBO President Francisco Varcarcel entered the scene by ordering NSAC the review of the boxing video with early pronouncement that the fight was really close and difficult to judge. What a posture of sanctioning organization head who wants to manipulate again the upcoming investigation results! How could the WBO President say “review” when he already concluded that the fight was so close and difficult to judge? How come that the fight turned out to be close when more than 90% of all world sport writers, analysts and websites scored the fight with Pacquiao as the runaway winner? How come that the fight was difficult to judge when only several factors are to be considered in scoring boxing: ring generalship or dominance, aggressiveness, fighting style and what more? Punches? Pacquiao dominated the boxing statistics for that particular bout as it appears in CompuBox. What expert eyes these judges are saying that the ordinary eyes could not have seen? Well yes! We saw that crime of robbery in a broad daylight, in flagrante delicto, against a Philippine Congressman. True judges! This is not American Idol with the outcome being dictated by thrilled, serenaded or flirted audience. This is boxing and unfortunately the results are falsely tailored by such dubbed “experts”?
Investigation per se without rectification of the boxing results is a complete stupidity. The NSAC recommendation that will come out later can never make any turning point in boxing history but the usual and shameful rematch of fighters. And to Pacquiao, it will not make him anything good but his acceptance of the rematch is only sanctioning and dignifying the boulevard of fraud in boxing. Even if it happens, I will never watch Pacquiao doing the World Puppet Show of Bob Arum, the king of folly, most historic manipulator and world-renowned Pontius Pilate of the sport. If I were Pacquiao, I would rather chase arch nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez for a fourth match, even if unpopular, and prove to the world that he really deserved the victory last November 2011 or pursue negotiations with Floyd “Money” Mayweather who, I think, may now accede after all the prison and family issues that pulverized his character as a boxing superstar of Uncle Sam’s America.
Ordering rematch between Pacquiao and Bradley is a plain idiocy to figure out. Why push through with the rematch when Pacman was the clear winner in the eyes of millions or even billions of people around the world? The best way to revitalize boxing as a sport is to get rid of NSAC and these sanctioning bodies like WBO, WBC, IBF, etc. There must be an independent world boxing commission that will man boxing fights and protect the integrity of boxing results unlike now that they can easily manipulate the outcome because of speaking money($). For now, thanks to Sens. McCain and Reid for their efforts to create a federal boxing commission.
Speaking of financial equilibrium, Pacquiao has been the biggest milking cow and piggy bank of Top Rank for several years and Bob Arum could not agree less when dealing with money, more money or most money. Well, it seems that Arum wanted Manny to lose so he can give Manny less. Unfortunately, Pacman still has something to prove in boxing. What an astute promoter in Arum fielding his own Top Rank scorer with Bradley in score card as the manhandled winner. Oh My Arum! It appears now that NSAC, WBO and Top Rank fashioned the sweet conspiracy against God-renewed Pacquiao in the Sin City of Vegas?
Nevertheless, Filipinos are still very proud that one of the greatest boxers of all time happened to be with the same citizenship as ours. We are indebted that our generation witnessed and still witnessing Manny Pacquiao on high definition videos and digital cameras, live coverage of boxing matches on pay per views, LED televisions, countless articles on websites and commentaries on print and broadcast media. The first 8-division boxing champion should now chase the best boxing match of his career and thereafter hang his boxing gloves for good. From then on Pacquiao, no more fraud. No more Arums. Greed and fraud have no place in the sport of boxing because if they do exist, we can simply say, “RIP Boxing”. @mikeasuten, twitter.com
