Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Tom Donoghue/DonoghuePhotography.com
Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley Jr.’s WBO welterweight title fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, June 9, 2012. Bradley won a controversial split decision in the 12-round bout and is now 29-0.
Published Sunday, June 10, 2012 | 4:08 p.m.
Updated Monday, June 11, 2012 | 1:17 p.m.
More arts and entertainment
- Check out Robin Leach's VegasDeLuxe.com for more celebrity and A&E coverage.
Pacquiao-Bradley news conference
What a memorable Saturday night in The Entertainment Capital of the World.
First, an upset and controversial decision at the sold-out Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley Jr. WBO welterweight title fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena that people are still buzzing about. Bradley scored a split-decision victory that pretty much no one saw coming, perhaps even Bradley.
Check out Las Vegas Sun Sports Editor Ray Brewer and reporter Case Keefer’s in-depth and blow-by-blow coverage of the fight, including a live blog by Brewer and post-fight analysis.
Saturday night’s judges have been branded “the three blind mice.” (Although one of the judges gave the win to Pacquiao, the majority seems to be upset about the overall scoring.)
The week leading up to the fight, Bradley at the official news conference jokingly presented an oversized ticket to Bradley vs. Pacquiao 2, a rematch of the bruisers after Bradley wins Saturday night. Bradley is a boxing champion (rightfully or not) and a fortuneteller, as contributing videographer Richard Corey’s video posted on YouTube attests. He also is undefeated now at 29-0, while Pacquiao was surprised and gracious in defeat.
So what’s next? Will there be a rematch -- Bradley vs. Pacquiao 2? Or will it be a Fight of the Year between undefeated boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr. (once his 90-day jail sentence for domestic battery ends) and Bradley? Is Pacquiao ever closer to retirement? I leave those questions to the experts in Sports at the Sun.
Saturday night’s celebrity audience included Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin, Jeremy Renner, Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Sanchez (who sang the national anthem), Luke Wilson, Jason Biggs, Mario Lopez, Apl.de.ap of The Black Eyed Peas, Taboo, Amir Khan, Andre Ward, Brandon Rios, Chad Dawson, Mike Tyson, Shane Mosley, Reggie Miller, Brandon Jacobs, Frank Gore, Juan Manuel Marquez, Roy Jones, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Andrew Bynum, Kelly Pavlik and Nonito Donaire.
Thanks to Steve Marcus of the Sun and contributing photographer Tom Donoghue for their spectacular photo galleries.
And sharing the spotlight Saturday night into early Sunday morning, high winds and safety precautions closed Night 2 of the 2012 Electric Daisy Carnival at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Some 90,000 fans made it through the turnstiles on what is arguably Main Event night of the three-day festival, but thousands, including yours truly and two friends, were stranded at the entrance and turned away about 1 a.m. (Some festivalgoers talked about the Pacquiao upset while waiting in line.)
Let’s hope that Night 3 of the 2012 EDC, the 16th annual event and here in Las Vegas for the second consecutive year, goes off without a hitch this evening.
Meantime, people will still be talking about The Upset.
Don Chareunsy is editor of VegasDeLuxe.com and arts and entertainment editor of LasVegasSun.com.
Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.
Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.
Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.
Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.
This is why boxing is a joke. It's obvious that the fix was in. If the Nevada State Boxing Commission wants to maintain any sense of credibility then a complete investigation of this joke of a result. Shame on you Nevada!!!
Q: Whats the difference between boxing and wrestling?
A: With wrestling they admit the matches are fixed.
All of the stats and all the people that viewed the fight with the exception of 2 judges, saw the fight differently.
I had no vested interest in the outcome of the fight and was not rooting for either fighter.
The result of the fight is not legit, the judges that ruled the fight for Bradley, should be investigated for fraud and have their eyes checked. The outcome of this fight has me saying that I will never pay to see another fight again.
not the first time a fighter was robbed by a decision and it won't be the last. let 'em do it again, that should give manny some real incentive to finish it in the ring, not to mention all the potential income.