Conspiracy theories

LAS VEGAS – It didn’t seem possible that Timothy Bradley Jr. could beat Manny Paquiao but two of the three judges assigned to the WBO welterweight title bout made the improbable a reality here Saturday night.

The oddsmakers were shocked as were the bettors who figured there was no way a lightwelterweight could move up to 147 pounds and threaten the world’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.

From punchstats, the indication is Bradley didn’t win the fight but two judges did the job for the Desert Storm. C. J. Ross and Duane Ford saw it 115-113 for Bradley while Jerry Roth scored it 115-113 the other way. Ross and Ford awarded three of the first four rounds to Pacquiao then gave four of the last five to Bradley.

At the end of seven rounds, Pacquiao was ahead on all three scorecards, 68-65, 67-66 and 67-66. He was still on top in two scorecards at the start of the 10th then came Bradley’s late surge. Pacquiao lost steam in the homestretch and it’s probably because of the extra weight. He scaled 147 pounds, the heaviest in his career, and entered the ring weighing 150.

Pacquiao never dieted through his eight-week training period. He ate heartily, knowing he could easily make the 147-pound limit. The day of the weigh-in, he sat down with guests and visitors for two breakfasts. Just hours before the fight, Pacquiao was back on the dining table. As a result, he wasn’t as quick with his hands and on his feet. When Bradley ran away, Pacquiao couldn’t cut the ring off.

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Despite the flaws, Pacquiao did more than enough to beat Bradley who was staggered at least thrice. Pacquiao repeatedly penetrated Bradley’s defense with a jarring left straight and controlled the tempo particularly in the early rounds. Bradley started off on attack mode but once he felt Pacquiao’s power, adjusted his style to avoid risky engagements.

A disgruntled spectator said Pacquiao lost because it made “business” sense. Another said it was Las Vegas’ way of getting back at Pacquiao after he was awarded an unconvincing victory on points over Juan Manuel Marquez last November. Either way, the speculation was the scoring wasn’t on the level.

A Bradley win virtually sealed a rematch with Pacquiao although the Filipino hasn’t decided if he’ll take the option. It’s Pacquiao’s choice to push through with the return bout or not as Bradley has no say on the matter owing to a mandatory rematch clause in their contract. Without a Bradley win, Top Rank chairman Bob Arum would’ve had to scramble for a credible opponent for Pacquiao while waiting for Floyd Mayweather Jr. to be released from jail. Mayweather will probably be available for a fight only late this year or early the next.

Bursting Pacquiao’s bubble of invincibility throws the matchmaking possibilities wide open. But will fans pay to watch another Pacquiao-Bradley fight? It was painful to see Pacquiao desperately trying to catch Bradley in the late rounds and couldn’t hold him down. A fourth fight against Marquez wouldn’t be a commercial success as fans have grown weary of the two counterpunchers. The Mayweather option is real but it won’t happen until next year.

So Bradley is now a live opponent for Pacquiao in November. He’ll risk the WBO welterweight crown and his unbeaten record against a vengeful Pacquiao. It’ll be a big test for Pacquiao if the fight materializes. The rematch would establish if Pacquiao is ready to retire or not.

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Was there a conspiracy theory that led to Pacquiao’s defeat? Highway robberies are not implausible in boxing with a long history of scandalous outcomes like in the first Jersey Joe Walcott-Joe Louis fight, the second Jack Dempsey-Gene Tunney fight, the Pernell Whitaker-Julio Cesar Chavez fight, the Roy Jones-Park Hi Sun disaster in the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the Sugar Ray Leonard-Marvelous Marvin Hagler bout.

An investigation must be conducted to find out if hanky-panky was involved in the scoring. If there is basis to accuse Ross and Ford of corruption, their licenses should be immediately withdrawn and the result of the bout declared void. If the decision is nullified, then Pacquiao retains his WBO title.

Mixed martial arts is slowly eating up into professional boxing’s market with fights decided in transparency. Pacquiao’s loss dealt the sport a severe blow because it not only cast doubt on the integrity of the fight game but also brought down one of its most endearing symbols of success. Something must be done quickly to address this problem. An injustice has been committed and the sport, not Pacquiao, is the ultimate victim.