Bradley’s shock win over Pacquiao stuns boxing world

LAS VEGAS: Timothy Bradley was enjoying a career-making victory and nursing a broken left foot yesterday after seizing Manny Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organisation welterweight title with a controversial split decision.

Bradley, a 5-1 underdog despite his unbeaten record, ended a 15-fight winning streak by Pacquiao that dated to 2005 and helped make him a national treasure in his native Philippines.

California’s Bradley, who improved to 29-0 with 12 knockouts, had vowed before the biggest fight of his life to “shock the world” and he did so, despite injuries that manager Cameron Dunkin said turned out to be a swollen, twisted right ankle and a broken left foot.

Bradley, who arrived at the postfight press conference in a wheelchair and was taken afterward to hospital for X-rays, said he thought it was in the second round that he stepped on referee Robert Byrd’s foot and “felt a pop”.

“I went back to my corner and said I think I might have broken my foot,” he said.

Trainer Joel Diaz said it was up to him – quit or carry on in the biggest fight of his life.

Bradley’s decision to carry on paid off, although for many his courage was lost in the “shock” of the night – that two judges saw Bradley winning the bout 115-113, while the third gave it to Pacquiao by the same score.

Promoter Bob Arum called it an “unbelievable” decision.

“Can you believe that?” Arum fumed during the post-fight news conference, at one point describing the three judges as “The Three Blind Mice”.

“I had it 10-2. After I got into the ring after the fight, I went over to Bradley and said ‘You did very well’. He said, ‘I tried hard, but I couldn’t beat the guy.’

Stunned

“This is crazy. You talk about killing boxing? All three scorecards you throw out. It’s not good for the sport of boxing.”

While Pacquiao was stunned after suffering his first defeat since he lost to Erik Morales in Las Vegas in March 2005, he took the decision with good grace.

“Don’t be discouraged about boxing,” the Filipino said after his career record slipped to 54-4-2 with 38 knockouts. “There’s always next time.”

His trainer, Freddie Roach, was totally dumbfounded.

“I think they (the judges) had their eyes closed,” said Roach. “Something wasn’t right because what everyone else saw and what they saw were two very different things.”

Through the middle rounds, Pacquiao repeatedly landed his powerful straight left, the 33-yearold champion looking as if he might deliver his first knockout since 2009.

Bradley weathered those rounds and from the seventh made the adjustments that satisfied the judges, even if he never appeared able to hurt Pacquiao.

“I started working with angles, sticking and moving,” said Bradley.

“Most of his punches hit my arms,” Pacquiao said.

The controversy set the stage for a November re-match.

“I’ve got to give him a chance to win his title back,” Bradley said, and Pacquiao responded by saying he was determined another fight with Bradley wouldn’t go to the scorecards.

But the defeat may prove yet another stumbling block to a Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather megafight – a bout that has repeatedly failed to materialise despite the clamour from fans worldwide.

Immediately after the decision was announced, Pacquiao said: “I did my best but I guess my best was not good enough.”

“Whatever happens, don’t be discouraged about boxing,” he told his fans. “Next time.” – Sapa-AFP