Shame and scandal in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Nevada — What was tipped to be a sparring session for 4-1 favorite Manny Pacquiao became the stage for one of the most hideous highway robberies in the history of professional boxing as unbeaten challenger Timothy Bradley, Jr. didn’t even think he won but snatched the WBO welterweight title via a highly-disputed split 12-round decision at the MGM Grand Garden Arena here on Saturday night, June 10.

Anyone with the guts to bet for Bradley laughed all the way to the bank. An unidentified bettor supposedly plunked down $1 million for a Bradley win less than an hour before the fight and walked away with $3.6 million. There was widespread speculation of a fix and the prime suspect in manipulating the scorecards was promoter Bob Arum who stands to gain from a rematch — if Pacquiao agrees to exercise his option for a return engagement on Nov. 10. 

Two judges — Duane Ford, 74, and Cynthia J. Ross, 62 — scored it 115-113 for Bradley while the other judge Jerry Roth, 71, saw it 115-113 for Pacquiao.  HBO Sports had it 119-109, the Mexican TV panel 117-111 and The Philippine STAR 116-112, all for Pacquiao. Nearly everyone on press row said Pacquiao was robbed of a clear victory.

The punch stats showed that Pacquiao outlanded Bradley in 10 of the 12 rounds and the figures were convincing. Pacquiao connected more punches, 253-159, with a higher landing rate, 34 percent to 19 percent.  The Filipino icon was ahead in every conceivable department but two judges saw it otherwise.

Coach and fighter: Freddie Roach and Manny Pacquiao just before the fight.

The fans who witnessed the fight booed lustily after ring announcer Michael Buffer declared Bradley the new WBO champion. Before the announcement, Bradley told Arum he did his best but couldn’t beat Pacquiao.  Arum promotes both fighters so he was in a win-win situation.  He stands to maximize his earnings in a bout where the protagonists are both under his wing. To tone down the public outcry, Arum said he would call for an investigation of the two judges who scored it for Bradley. Under boxing rules, a decision will be nullified only if judges are proved to be corrupt. If the conclusion is incompetence, the judges will be suspended but the verdict will stay. In the event of a no-contest, the WBO throne will likely be declared vacant.

Pacquiao, 33, said he won the fight but accepted the outcome as a test of faith in God. Since barely beating Juan Manuel Marquez last November, he has renounced all forms of vice and embraced the Word of the Lord, calling the Bible his manual of life.  Pacquiao now spends up to two hours of Bible study a day with evangelical Christian pastor Jeric Soriano, the son of the late actor Nestor de Villa and Marilu Cacho.   The transformation has brought Pacquiao closer to his wife Jinkee and their four children.

Soriano has been identified as Pacquiao’s spiritual adviser by Sports Illustrated and USA Today.   But while Soriano is a born-again Christian, Pacquiao remains a Catholic. Their notions of faith are reconciled in the Bible. However, a source said Soriano’s denouncement of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Saints of the Catholic Church, the sign of the cross and the rosary has caused Pacquiao much confusion, if not mental anguish. Fr. Marlon Beof, whose parish church is in Temecula, California, has rushed to Pacquiao’s side to re-establish his Catholic beliefs and appeared to have won the battle as he accompanied the fighting Congressman from Sarangani to the MGM Grand Arena for his bout. Fr. Marlon celebrated Holy Mass before and after the fight at the Mandalay Bay Arena with Pacquiao and his family attending. It must be mentioned that Pacquiao completed the nine-day rosary novena leading up to the fight.

Bradley shows off abs at weigh-in.

To add to the holy alliance, Bro. Eddie Villanueva of the Jesus Is Lord movement flew in from Manila and invited Pacquiao to speak to his congregation the day after the fight in Las Vegas. For Pacquiao, there is no conflict as what binds each religious congregation is a common love of God with the Bible as the guiding light.

What worries fans is Pacquiao’s passion for Bible study may take away from his focus on boxing. A few days before the Bradley fight, he was a witness to an emotional Christian reconciliation between a father and an estranged daughter — they had been separated for over 20 years — and it happened late at night when he should’ve been fast asleep resting. 

Pacquiao spent eight weeks training for Bradley starting with light workouts in General Santos, stepping it up in Baguio City then finishing at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles. Despite the grueling grind, Pacquiao scaled 147 pounds at the weigh-in on the eve of the fight. It was the heaviest ever in his career. Bradley tipped the scales at 146 and his abs were more clearly ripped than Pacquiao’s. Was it because Pacquiao took Bradley lightly? The morning of the weigh-in, Pacquiao indulged in two breakfasts as he had no difficulty making the welterweight limit of 147. But experts noted that Pacquiao is at his peak fighting form at 144 to 145 pounds, as when he battled Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito.

For the fight, Pacquiao gave out at least 700 tickets to friends, relatives and fans. That set him back about $600,000. He also paid for plane tickets and hotel accommodations for those whom he invited to Las Vegas. His guaranteed purse was $26 million but after deductions, tax payments and sanction fees, he may just take home about $10 million.

Pacquiao merchandise in Nike store at Caesars Palace

Pacquiao’s attention was distracted by his interest in Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals between Boston and Miami about four hours before the start of his fight. He watched the first part of the contest in his Mandalay Hotel 60th floor suite and took in the early part of the fourth period in his dressing room at the arena.  Pacquiao was then whisked to a private room for a six-minute treadmill jog to loosen his calves and had no time to work up a sweat doing mitts before climbing the ring.

Pacquiao wasn’t in the ring when Jessica Sanchez sang The Star Spangled Banner and his cousin Kirby Asunto the Lupang Hinirang. His late arrival caused the absence. Pacquiao personally chose Asunto, a relative from Mommy Dionisia’s side, to do the honors.  His entourage took up half the space in the ring for the introductions with Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson, Bacolod City Mayor Bing Leonardia, brothers Bobby and Roel, adviser Michael Koncz, lawyer Jeng Gacal, security officer Carlos Jomo, Joe Ramos, Jayke Joson, Rex (Wakee) Salud, Freddie Roach, Alex Ariza, Miguel Diaz, Nonoy Neri and Buboy Fernandez. In contrast, Bradley’s group only had trainer Joel Diaz and four others.   

Pacquiao clearly won the fight but Bradley claimed the belt. There is talk of a rematch but Pacquiao is undecided at the moment.  From the way Arum has drawn it up, Pacquiao could take on Bradley in a return bout on Nov. 10 and regain the WBO title.  Then, Pacquiao takes on Marquez to settle their issue once and for all, possibly in March, runs for reelection as Congressman in May and ends his boxing career with a blockbuster showdown against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in December. What a script for a dramatic ending to the storybook boxing career of the only fighter ever to win eight world titles in different divisions.