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Timothy Bradley Jr. (L) of the U.S. poses with Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines after their title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada June 9, 2012. Bradley took Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title by split decision.
Sunday, June 10, 2012 | 2 a.m.
Pacquiao loses controversial decision
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KSNV coverage of Manny Pacquiao's loss to Timothy Bradley, June 9, 2012.
LasVegasSun.com Sports Talk
All things Pacquiao
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Las Vegas Sun sports reporters Ray Brewer, Case Keefer and Taylor Bern usher in fight week by discussing everything surrounding Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley on their weekly "Waking up with the Sun" radio program. Has Pacquiao lost something? Does Bradley have a chance? And the obligatory question — Will Pacquiao ever fight Floyd Mayweather? Catch Las Vegas Sun sports talk Monday mornings at 8 on 91.5 KUNV.
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With a championship belt slung around his shoulder and a smile stretched across his face, Timothy Bradley, Jr. took his time exiting the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday night.
Bradley attempted to take in the moment, the one he had spent envisioning for the past three months while going through a training camp he equated to hell. But that fantasy was surely without parts of this reality.
Some fans stuck around for nearly 15 minutes after ring announcer Michael Buffer revealed a baffling a split-decision victory for Bradley over Manny Pacquiao to boo the new WBO welterweight champion. A few of them sprinted down the aisles to hurl insults. Security guards bunched around Bradley like a swarm of ants protecting their hill to ensure his safety.
As much as inexcusable judging victimized Pacquiao, misdirected hostility did the same to Bradley. The undefeated 28-year old from Indio, Calif. — who had only $11 to his name less than four years ago — emerged as the unlikely enemy of boxing fans everywhere.
“What do you want me to do?” Bradley asked incredulously. “That’s what the judges saw.”
The question was rhetorical, because Bradley couldn’t even figure out what he wanted to do. Immediately after he found out he won the fight, Bradley leapt into his father’s arms in celebration but shared no opinion.
While still in the ring, Bradley said he would need to re-watch the fight to see if he really won. By the time he made his way to the press conference, Bradley’s attitude had changed.
Feigning ignorance gave way to proclaiming victory.
“I got hit with some big shots early, but I persevered,” Bradley said. “I fought through the pain and used my boxing ability towards the end to win some rounds, the last five rounds, I feel, to get the victory.”
Members of Bradley’s team had to push the champion into the press conference in a wheelchair. Bradley either broke his foot or sprained his ankle in the second round, which he said severely limited his movement. Pacquiao took advantage by dominating and nearly finishing Bradley in the third, fourth and fifth rounds.
“My corner asked what I wanted to do, if I wanted to quit,” Bradley explained. “I said, ‘No, I want to keep rolling.’ I caught my second wind around the sixth. I was a little tired, but I felt like I was carrying the fight with my jab. Manny missed a lot.”
Bradley may not have deserved a victory, but he showed tremendous heart to make it competitive in the late rounds. That was a message Pacquiao and his team spread about Bradley.
Even with unruly supporters yelling tired phrases like “this fix was in” from the back of the room, Pacquiao refrained from disparaging his opponent at the press conference. Top Rank CEO Bob Arum paused a couple times during a 15-minute tirade to praise Bradley.
“It’s a disgrace to the sport of boxing,” Arum said of the decision. “This wasn’t even close, but I’m happy for Tim. He’s a great young man who made a lot of money and deserves this break.”
Pacquiao’s bunch wouldn’t go that far.
“Bradley was very tough and durable,” Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach said. “So be it, but I clearly thought we won the fight.”
Roach and Pacquiao each felt Bradley won three rounds, including the last two. They couldn’t rationalize how two judges awarded the challenger seven out of 12, or even how a third gave him five rounds.
Regardless of how hard he tried to savor the experience, Bradley heard more commotion about the decision than praise for his win. He said that motivated him to make a pending rematch — which should take place Nov. 10 according to a clause in the fight contract — more decisive.
With all the conflicting emotions, it was hard to gauge Bradley’s true demeanor. But his final comment of the night may have provided the most insight.
“For all of those who say good things don’t happen to good people, yeah they do, baby,” Bradley said.
Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or case.keefer@lasvegassun.com. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
Do the right thing Bradley. Relinquish the win, give up the belt and title. You know you lost, your team knows you lost and boxing fans know you lost.
"Good things happen to good people...", you say. Be good then. Don't feign ignorance being complicit with a horrible decision. YOU, out of all people should know. If there will ever be a rematch, leave the belt and title up for grabs on November 10. Otherwise, you are no different from the judges who stole Pacquiao's win. Man up, you're a prize fighter not a paid actor.
Hey Timothy great win buddy! Don't let all the wishful thinkers/haters tarnish your reign. Manny was/is an amazing boxing legend. You sir are the simple messanger of the Boxing Gods. You are the instrument of punishment for the greedy prideful handlers and promoters of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.
Relish your time in the sun. My suggestion to you would be to strut around day in and day out holding press conferences breaking down round for round how God used you to rub the collective noses of boxing fans in the mess Floyd and Manny left for all of us to suffer with. Play your moment so mockingly that for the next hundred years you are remembered as the last champion of a dying sport filled with proud greedy power brokers. Mock them all for the fools they are having never made the fight that would have breathed new life into a sport that now gets to suffer the reality of Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather. No man stole this fight for you my friend the boxing gods have passed judgment and found all of us fans, promoters, and boxers wanting for moral humble character.
Great win.
In the rematch, Manny will win big which is what his over-the-hill career needs. Huge dollars for both of them. He then will take a huge payday from Floyd...in a loss though. Then he retires, even richer.
I can't believe this man actually thinks he won that fight, I thought he was an intelligent individual ,after the ,he is anything but that. Mr. Bradley be a hero the fans of boxing and reprimand the judges for disgracing the sport that you love. Please dont' be like the rest of the crooks in boxing and tell it like it is. You can do it ,show some integrity and be boxings' hero.
Bob Arums owns both fighters. If Pacquiao were declared the winner, Arum would not have another fight! More importantly, another fight without a high gross take. Mayweather would not allow Arum to control the money, that is the big reason why Floyd and Manny have not fought. After all, Mayweather is the real draw. Pacquiao did not look good in his last fights. You can say it all you want, but this fight was decided long before the opening bell. In a situation like this, Bradley would be in the dark, but not Pacquiao. Pacquiao would know the score long before the end of the fight. Arum needs the rematch to continue making money off of Pacquiao. This is Arum's deal. Now, look to the judges who scored the fight for Bradley. Also Roth.