Boxing referee under probe

LONDON. — The World Boxing Council is looking into claims by former referee Carlos Padilla that he influenced the outcome of an early Manny Pacquiao title fight.

Padilla, now 88, said he prolonged a count to help fellow Filipino Pacquiao beat Nedal Hussein and defend his WBC International super-bantamweight title in Manila in 2000.

He also said he overlooked a headbutt from Pacquiao which opened a cut above Hussein’s left eye and led to the fight being stopped on medical grounds. Pacquiao won via and went on to become a five-weight world champion. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman told BBC Sport: “The has appointed a committee to look into this matter and we will be working on this situation with full attention.”

Padilla, who refereed Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier’s infamous ‘’ Thrilla in Manila’’ fight in 1975, made the claims in an interview on the WBC website to mark his induction into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame in September.

Padilla said he was told before taking the Hussein bout that it was an “important fight” for Pacquiao’s career.

Pacquiao, then 21, went on to defend the belt two more times before beating South Africa’s Lehlo Ledwaba in 2001 to claim the IBF super-bantamweight title.

“Manny is not a (super-bantamweight) world champion yet. He was only a god in the Philippines,” said Padilla. “They told me ‘Carlos, please, this is an important fight for Manny because the winner will have a chance to fight for the world championship’.”

Padilla said he stepped in after Pacquiao was knocked down in the fourth round.