Tuesday, June 12, 2012

No plan for Nevada Commission to review Pacquiao-Bradley bout


Source : LA Times

LAS VEGAS -- The executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission said he anticipates no discipline or review of the judges who awarded Palm Springs' Timothy Bradley a controversial split-decision victory over Manny Pacquiao on Saturday night.
"I had Manny ahead, but that's fine," Keith Kizer said. "All I can say is I think every judge should strive to get better.

"Every fighter who loses a close fight like that wants to look at the judges."

Judges C.J. Ross and Duane Ford both gave Bradley an edge of seven rounds to five, 115-113, while Jerry Roth -- a veteran judge like Ford -- scored the bout 115-113 for Pacquiao.

Ford and Ross each ruled Bradley won five rounds after the sixth.

The scores were met by great outrage from the 14,000-plus in attendance at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, especially with statistics showing Pacquiao connected on 253 punches to Bradley's 159.

"I told you I can," get a decision in Nevada, Bradley said afterward. "Manny fought in spurts and I threw a lot of punches. He wasn't really hitting me. He caught me with some, but I kept my composure and kept 'em popping all night."

Bradley trainer Joel Diaz said he thought his fighter won the fight by "moving."

Bradley was wheeled into the post-fight news conference in a wheelchair because of an injured ankle. Pacquiao appeared unscathed afterward.

Fight promoter Bob Arum expressed outrage about the scoring and suggested an international association of judges be formed, or age limits for judges installed. "I know this from experience," said Arum, 80, "our attention span is less."

Ford is 74, Roth is 71.

"Those scorecards were ridiculous," Arum said. "Everyone near me said it's a fun fight, Bradley's really trying, but it's one-sided. If we had three experienced judges doing this fight instead, all we'd be talking about is how courageous Bradley was."

Many reporters at ringside unofficially scored the bout in the 9-3 or 11-1 range for Pacquiao.

Bradley was asked if the public disagreement with the judges "lessened the joy" of his victory.

"The funny thing is there's three judges and two of them said I won," Bradley said. "What do you want me to do? My corner felt I was controlling the fight. We definitely got to do it again.

"A lot of people don't think I won the fight. It's definitely a different fight in the rematch."

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