A lot of conspiracy theories came out of the woodwork since the stunning defeat of Manny Pacquiao by Timothy Bradley. The one that Rafe Bartholomew came up with appears to be one of the more credible conspiracy theories. The article is long but it’s worth reading. — PERRY DIAZ
Pacquiao-Bradley: What Just Happened?
A report from ringside
By Rafe Bartholomew on June 11, 2012
Jeff Bottari/Getty Images
When Michael Buffer read the scorecards Saturday night in boxing’s worst robbery in a major fight since Pernell Whitaker and Julio Cesar Chavez fought to a “draw” in 1993, I was sitting beside a columnist for PhilBoxing.com, a news site that often reads like the Manny Pacquiao Ministry of Propaganda. We were six or seven rows back from ringside, and when it became clear that Timothy Bradley Jr. had been declared winner by split decision over the heavily favored Pacquiao, my companion shot out of his chair and shouted: “WHAT’S HAPPENING? WHAT’S HAPPENING?? THIS IS MADNESS! WHO IS THAT GUY WHO DID THIS?”
That guy (and girl) were Nevada State Athletic Commission judges C.J. Ross and Duane Ford, who each scored the fight 115-113, seven rounds to five, for Bradley. Or, if you choose to believe the whispers that swept through press row at the same time as a chorus of boos filled the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, “that guy who did this” might not have been the judges. According to a conspiracy theory that had been floated and workshopped and all but perfected in the two minutes it took to walk from the arena to an adjacent banquet room for the post-fight press conference, “that guy” was Pacquiao’s promoter, Top Rank CEO Bob Arum.
This sounds far-fetched — and it is — but not much more far-fetched than the possibility that three professional judges who also happen to be human beings with eyeballs connected to optic nerves connected to non-lobotomized brains could watch that fight and believe that Bradley won. Or that it was even just a close victory for Pacquiao. There didn’t seem to be a single reporter on press row who gave the fight to Bradley, and if there was, he or she must have been too ashamed to admit it. I overheard HBO boxing analyst Max Kellerman saying he scored it eight rounds to four for Pacquiao, and that he thought doing so was being generous to Bradley. Ten rounds to two, nine to three, and even 11 to one in favor of Pacquiao were more common spreads among journalists who covered the fight. So when people tried to understand why Pacquiao lost a fight where he landed 82 more power punches than Bradley and 12 more jabs while connecting on a much higher percentage of his blows, it’s no surprise that foul play came immediately to mind. Anyone who searched for a rational explanation for this result was bound to come up empty. After that, what’s left but whatever cloak-and-dagger machinations you care to imagine in a sport controlled by a handful of powerful promoters with varying agendas and overseen by a patchwork of ineffectual state athletic commissions? [...]
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Rex Q. Garcia, ME / PE calif. says:
June 11, 2012 at 9:40 pm
Folks calm down and please there is no reason to get upset about Pacman being robbed of victory, Its all a stage play behind the scene so someone will make more money at the end of the day next November. Cant you folks see that in a normal process it would take two or three months before they can come out with a date of a rematch? Look they already know the date right away after the bout of NOV. 3 is the plan. Arun already planed the date. We do not need a rocket scientist to figure out the script stage play out why it was decided that the script has to be done this way for them to get more money in a REMATCH. Do not get upset because the Pacman lose. He will end up more money at the end of the day on Nov. 3. You should get upset because the way the Las Vegas Sport Commission plans to robbed your pocket for the next REMATCH. Would you have an idea how much revenues Las Vegas makes in a Pacman REMATCH ? Calm down and if you want to make the Las Vegas Sport Commission get upset just like how the Pinoys get mad because they thought Pacquiao get robbed ??… Get samart and do this …. Do not come and watch or spend any more money about a REMATCH period. Better yet ask that the rematch will be held in Manila instead of Las Vegas. I bet that would makes the the Las Vegas crime planners of the rematch get upset because the money will be dump to other pockets …. to our dirty government corrupt officials. Senators and Congressman you plan and do your home work to bring that rematch money to the poor who needs it badly in Pinas
This is not the first time this “lutong makaw” was done by Bob Arum in Pacquiao’s fights:
Miguel Cotto agreed to give away his belt to pad Pacquiao’s division world championship to seven for a guaranteed pay of $4M (ended up getting $12M)–the biggest payday in Cotto’s boxing career. Unprecedented 7 titles made marketing Pacquiao for blockbuster mega big-bucks bouts easier for Arum. Did you notice that Cotto only hired a weight trainer for this fight and his much feared devastating punches only felt like a little girl’s slap when Pacquaio did a “rope-a-dope” many times?
Antonio Margarito, another one from Arum’s stable, gave Pacquiao’s record eight weight class world title. In turn, Arum gave Tony another multi-million dollars guaranteed pay (grossed $20M) and recovery of his boxing license. For hype, Margarito had to keep up his “bad boy” persona by making fun of Freddie Roach’s disability, Pacquiao’s publicity-hungry mother Dionisia, etc. using gang-banger’s talk. This added another feather to Pacquiao’s already historic boxing record and more selling points for Arum’s Top Rank Promotions. This match featured a much taller and hard-hitting boxer fighting like a scarecrow.
Hey, you won’t be called a “puppet master” for nothing.
I agree 110 percent what AlbertO says on his June 11 ” MAYBE, MANNY IS AN ACCOMPLICE TOO.” Albert you sure do not need a rocket scientist to figure out the behind the scene arrangement. You got a sharp mind and you do not get confused or convince that easily. Everyone was wrong to say that Pacman was ROBBED. NOT REALLY FOLKS. The Las Vegas Mapia who runs the gambling and boxing commision will end up more money in the PLANNED REMATCH. Got an idea how about let the PINAS senators and congresman request to change the venue of the REMATCH TO BE HELD in Manila instaed to show to the Las Vegas Sport Commision and the Las Vegas Mapias that the Pinoys senators and congressman are more smarter when it comes to corruption practises when it comes to money making. Government official do this as your homework. Bring that REMATCH REVENUES to the poor people who needs it badly in our country.
It is my hope Pac-Man is not an accomplice to this big-time cheating in boxing. Otherwise, Pac-Man, for all his self-professed conversion as a “born-again” follower of his faith, only connives and perverts in hypocricy and sins—not to mention his willingness to be used (to be one among countless Filipinos awash in corruption) to be contributing to corruption in this another corrupt city of Las Vegas.
For all the hear-says and “chismis and kwentong barbero”, if ever there is illegality in this bout, I still believe Pac-Man is not an accomplice. He had a very extremely humble beginning (as one of the poorest of the poor in the Philippines like me)who know better…not to fall in disgrace before the eyes of his admirers.
I concur with Rex Garcia to bring the rematch to Manila. Surely, Filipino folks expecially the politicians will outsmart the corrupt folks in Las Vegas…he,he,Lol
Pat, I think it’s time for everyone to move on. There are more important issues that the Filipino people should be worrying about instead of this lopsided decision about a boxing match. Everyone involved in this fight got their money’s worth, millions as a matter of fact. Did we really think that Arum was worried at all about this fight? There will be a re-match and more money will again be involve in the process. Goodness gracious! Did you noticed how the entire country almost went into a stand still just because of this fight? If the Filipino people could just put the same interest and enthusiasm on all the things that are going wrong with our country, I’m willing to bet that we can accomplish almost anything, but as always, the people’s priority is on something that does very little or nothing at all to affect their lives.