Eye-opener

SATURDAY’S outcome of the Pacquiao-Bradley fight came as a shocker, not only to Filipinos across the globe, but even to former boxing champs, fierce critics and former Pacquiao opponents, boxing experts, the media and some celebrities.
Among well-respected individuals in the boxing arena who were outraged were Evander Holyfield, Oscar Dela Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Sr. — and even Pacquiao’s nemesis, Juan Manuel Marquez.
In an interview with BoxeoMundial.com, Marquez said that he doesn’t even think that it was a close fight. He thinks the judges made a bad decision and that Pacquiao probably won by 4 or 5 points over Bradley.
Members of the media shared their views on the results of the fight as well.
ESPN boxing analyst and trainer Teddy Atlas told @SportsCenter that “boxing is a corrupt sport and the decision was tainted,” reports Inquirer.net.
Veteran reporter Tim Dahlberg of the Associated Press had it at 117-111, in favor of Pacquiao and wrote: “Timothy Bradley promised to shock, though the biggest shock in his fight with Manny Pacquiao came from the judges’ scorecards. In a fight Pacquiao seemed to have in hand, two judges decided otherwise, giving Bradley a split decision Saturday night and ending the Filipino fighter’s remarkable seven-year unbeaten run.”
Ed Graney of the Las Vegas Review-Journal questioned the ability of the judges in his column: “I don’t know why anyone is surprised. It’s like waking up on Dec. 25 and wondering where all those presents came from, like a wife reacting with shock that flowers arrive on Feb. 14. Boxing and ridiculous decisions by those who judge it have become more common than the Yankees spending money. It’s so old, so predictable, so unbelievably laughable. Who are these people anyway?”
Los Angeles Times’ Lance Pugmire wrote in his post-fight report: “In a stunning slight to punch statistics — and the naked eyes of most everyone else — two Nevada judges Saturday scored that Timothy Bradley upset Manny Pacquiao.”
Tim Smith of the New York Daily News called it “one of the worst decisions in history” and wrote: “Timothy Bradley had youth and confidence on his side. Manny Pacquiao possesses power and speed in abundance. Pacquiao made good use of his skills to pound Bradley, but he couldn’t convince two of the judges at ringside that he did enough in one of the worst decisions in recent boxing history.”
Boston Herald’s Ron Borges also had Pacquiao at 117-111.
Bob Velin of USA Today wrote: “Newly crowned WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley showed up at the postfight press conference Saturday night in a wheelchair, saying he thinks he broke one ankle as early as the second round and perhaps sprained the other. Which makes what happened in his title fight against Manny Pacquiao even more unbelievable.”
Social media was inundated with furious feedback as well — enough to make the outcome of the Pacquiao-Bradley fight a trending topic in Twitter.
Ultimate Fighting Champion President Dana White, who is a noted boxing fan, expressed his disdain to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, referring to them as “the worst athletic commission in the country.”
Former Golden Boy of boxing De La Hoya, who retired after being defeated by Pacquiao in 2008 tweeted: “Bradley should have given the belt and announced victory to Pacquiao right after the decision.”
Some of the celebrities who expressed their disappointment in Twitter include Justin Timberlake, SnoopDogg, Nick Lachey and Marlon Wayans, who said that he will be “protesting boxing [until] this is fixed! Do not support this sport until this is fixed! This is a disrespect to the art.”
Meanwhile, Arum has requested for an investigation of the fight results from the Nevada Attorney-General, saying that “what happened in Las Vegas was an absolute outrage and we have to have a complete investigation to determine how something like this could happen and who is responsible,” in an interview with ABS-CBN.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission is planning to bring in the judges individually and to review the tape of Saturday’s fight.
While contention and public ire over the controversial decision is still ongoing, there are important lessons that can be gleaned from it.
First, it puts boxing under close scrutiny and raises questions about the credibility of the sport — whether it has reduced itself to becoming just an opportunistic means for money-making. We have become so used to seeing Pacquiao win every fight in the boxing arena that in the process, we have become oblivious to the dark side of the industry.
Second, it has become a litmus test and reality check for Pacquiao, as an athlete. After seven years of being the undisputed pound-for-pound champ, how will he deal with the agony of defeat? While this loss has become a deterrent to his current stature, accepting losses and sportsmanship are still requisites for any competing athlete, whether they are at the top of their game or not.
Based on his cognizant acceptance of and respect for the officials’ decision, Pacquiao has demonstrated, not only to his kababayans but to the entire world, that despite his successes, he has not forgotten the value of humility. This elegant acquiescence would probably lay some previous doubt (over Pacquiao’s “new lease in life”) to rest.
Third, Pacquiao’s loss, while seemingly unfair and unjustified, should make him re-assess, not just his boxing skills, but his passion for the sport. Perhaps, it is time for him to resurrect that old hunger and up his game to a whole new level.
As public opinion crescendos in his favor, it also brings the realization that Pacquiao, as a boxing champ, should evolve for the better.
Many would argue that with all that Pacquiao has achieved, he has nothing else to prove. He can choose to retire now, because not even a loss from Timothy Bradley can erase his place among the ranks. But he has chosen to continue on and redeem himself. In so doing, meeting higher expectations is unavoidable.
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Midweek June 13-15, 2012 Sec A pg.8)