WBO President Orders Investigation Into Bradley Win

• Boxing – Pacquiano suffers controversial defeat

World Boxing Organisation president Francisco Valcarcel has announced an investigation into Timothy Bradley’s controversial win over Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas last weekend.
Bradley emerged victorious via split decision with two judges awarding him the fight 115-113 and a third scoring 115-113 for Pacquiao, despite widespread opinion that the Filipino was a clear winner.
In a statement on the WBO’s website, Valcarcel said: “The WBO, through its Championships Committee, will evaluate the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley, which ended in a controversial result.
“The Committee will meet soon and examine the video of the fight with five renowned international judges, and according to what is found, it will make its recommendation in accordance with the rules.”
Bradley held the WBO’s light-welterweight belt before moving up in weight to take the organisation’s welterweight belt from Pacquiao, a result that could scupper hopes of a Pacquiao super-fight against Floyd Mayweather.
Bob Arum, the veteran promoter of both fighters, called for an investigation but the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which sanctioned the bout, said it stood by the verdicts of “three seasoned professionals”.
The obvious conclusion of the WBO would be to order an immediate rematch, which would be unnecessary given that Pacquaio already had a rematch clause in his contract, and public opinion will demand it anyway.
It could also decide not to recognise Bradley, an unlikely eventuality given Bradley’s previous reign as a WBO champion. The WBO’s third option is to stand by a verdict which a vehement minority still maintains was perfectly logical.
Duane Ford, one of the two judges who gave the fight to Bradley, told the Las Vegas Review Journal: “I thought Bradley gave Pacquiao a boxing lesson. Pacquiao missed a lot of punches and I thought he was throwing wildly.”