Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley

"Perfect Storm"
Date June 9, 2012
Location MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, United States
Title(s) on the line WBO Welterweight
Tale of the tape
Manny Pacquiao Timothy Bradley
Nickname "Pac Man" "Desert Storm"
Hometown General Santos City, Philippines Palm Springs, California, United States
Pre-fight record 54-3-2 (38 KO) 28-0-0 (12 KO)
Height 5 ft 6.5 in (1.69 m) 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Weight 147 lbs 146 lbs
Recognition WBO Welterweight Champion.
The Ring Magazine #1 P4P Fighter		 WBO Light Welterweight Champion
The Ring Magazine #8 P4P Fighter
Result
Timothy Bradley by split decision

Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley, billed as "Perfect Storm", was a welterweight title boxing match held on June 9, 2012, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Paradise, Nevada.[1] After 12 rounds, Bradley won a highly controversial split decision to take the WBO welterweight title.[2][3]

Background

Pacquiao came into the fight following a controversial November 2011 majority decision victory in Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez III. He brought with him world championships in eight different weight classes—a feat unmatched by anyone.[4]

After fight negotiations between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr., ended without coming to terms, Mayweather opted to challenge junior middleweight titlist Miguel Cotto on May 5. Cotto had also been in the running to face Pacquiao in a rematch, but Pacquiao and Cotto could not agree on the weight for the fight. Pacquiao wanted the 147-pound welterweight limit, which Cotto said was too low for him, and he accepted a fight with Mayweather.[5] Also in the running to face Pacquiao were Lamont Peterson and Juan Manuel Marquez. Ultimately, it was Timothy Bradley who came to terms, agreeing to move up a weight class to challenge Pacquiao for his title.[5]

Bradley came into the fight with a somewhat lower profile than a typical Pacquiao opponent. In January 2011, he won a 10th-round technical decision in a junior welterweight title unification bout against Devon Alexander.[4] Previously, he had beaten then world-champion Lamont Peterson to claim the title.[4] After the fight with Alexander, Bradley rejected an offer to fight Amir Khan and further unify the 140-pound division. He signed with Top Rank and was given a co-feature slot on the Pacquiao-Marquez III pay-per-view card in November. In his match, Bradley beat former lightweight champion Joel Casamayor in an eight-round fight.[6]

Prior to the Pacquiao fight, Bradley was ranked as one of the top 10 pound for pound fighters in the world. In a show of confidence, Bradley had "rematch" posters printed up, implying he would win the fight.[7]

Fight

Pacquiao entered the fight as a substantial favorite, among both bookmakers and fans. Bradley entered the fight as a 7-2 underdog in the Vegas line. The glove weight was set at 8 ounces each. Midway through the first round, the crowd spontaneously began to chant "Manny, Manny, Manny ..."[4]

Throughout the fight, action was fast-paced, with Pacquiao landing the harder punches.[4] He appeared to take control early, beating Bradley on most exchanges.[7] However, Bradley did make good use of the punches he was able to throw, connecting on some of them.[8] Pacquiao won the first round, according to two of the three judges. Bradley was the more aggressive fighter in the second, backing Pacquiao against the ropes at one point. However, Pacquiao's patience paid off as he countered effectively at the end of the round.[8] Two of the judges awarded the round to Bradley. According to trainer Joel Diaz, Bradley hurt his ankle during the round, but chose to press on.[7] Pacquaio took control in the third round, winning on all three judges' cards. By the end of the round, Bradley "looked stunned".[8]

During the fourth and fifth rounds, Bradley seemed to be visibly hurting.[7] In the fourth round, Bradley was cautioned for a low blow, and forced on defense throughout. During the final seconds of the round, Bradley appeared close to going down multiple times.[8] Pacquiao remained on the offensive during the fifth, but Bradley managed to land some counterpunches.[8] All three judges gave the fourth round to Pacquiao, but only one awarded him the fifth.

Pacquiao dominated the sixth round, trapping Bradley in the corner, and getting off several consecutive unanswered punches.[8] All judges gave Pacquiao the sixth round.

Things started to turn in Bradley's favor during the second half of the fight, as Pacquiao struggled to land big punches. Around the seventh round, Bradley began to use his double jab effectively, and avoid Pacquiao's counterpunches.[4] He moved better, and got off his own counterpunches.[7] "I got my second wind in the sixth round," Bradley said after the fight.[7] Bradley won the seventh round, according to all three judges, with Pacquiao being backed into the ropes near the end of the round.[8]

The eighth round saw a brief stoppage after Bradley appeared to get caught in the eye by Pacquiao's thumb. After the stoppage, Bradley appeared to be in trouble, but reduced his arm swing, to avoid further counterattacks by Pacquiao.[8] Two judges scored the round in favor of Bradley. In the ninth round, Pacquiao was able to take advantage of Bradley's aggression, and drive him back into the ropes.[8] Bradley left himself too open to counterpunches, and Pacquiao won the round on two of the three judges' cards. Bradley bounced back in the tenth round, winning on all cards, thanks in part to a good head shot midway through the round.[8]

During the eleventh round, Bradley appeared to be gaining momentum, landing a series of punches, and backing Pacquiao against the ropes. The crowd began to chant Bradley's name.[8] Pacquiao silenced the crowd with a series of punches of his own, but two judges gave the round to Bradley. In the final round, both fighters pushed the action. Bradley landed a strong shot to Pacquiao's jaw in the final minute, and the match ended with a series of wild punches by both parties.[8] Bradley won the final round on all three scorecards.

In the end, Bradley won a highly controversial split decision over Pacquiao. Judges Duane Ford and C. J. Ross scored the fight 115–113 in favor of Bradley, while Jerry Roth scored the fight 115–113 in favor of Pacquiao.[4] It was Pacquiao's first defeat in seven years.[4] For his win, Bradley received a US$5 million check—the largest prize of his career.[7]

Fight card

Main event official score card

Source:[10]

Nevada State Athletic Commission
Official score card
Title: WBO Welterweight   Referee: Robert Byrd   Supervisor: István Kovács
Date: June 9, 2012 Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas Promoter: Top Rank
Pacquiao vs. Bradley Pacquiao vs. Bradley Pacquiao vs. Bradley
RS TS Rd TS RS RS TS Rd TS RS RS TS Rd TS RS
10 1 9   10 1 9   9 1 10
9 19 2 19 10 9 19 2 19 10 10 19 2 19 9
10 29 3 28 9 10 29 3 28 9 10 29 3 28 9
10 39 4 37 9 10 39 4 37 9 10 39 4 37 9
10 49 5 46 9 9 48 5 47 10 9 48 5 47 10
10 59 6 55 9 10 58 6 56 9 10 58 6 56 9
9 68 7 65 10 9 67 7 66 10 9 67 7 66 10
10 78 8 74 9 9 76 8 76 10 9 76 8 76 10
10 88 9 83 9 10 86 9 85 9 9 85 9 86 10
9 97 10 93 10 9 95 10 95 10 9 94 10 96 10
9 106 11 103 10 9 104 11 105 10 10 104 11 105 9
9 115 12 113 10 9 113 12 115 10 9 113 12 115 10
FINAL SCORE 115 – 113 FINAL SCORE   FINAL SCORE 113 – 115 FINAL SCORE   FINAL SCORE 113 – 115 FINAL SCORE
Won Lost Lost Won Lost Won
Judge: Jerry Roth Judge: C. J. Ross Judge: Duane Ford
Suspensions: none Point deductions: none Decision: Bradley won via split decision

Preliminary card

Reaction

Following the announcement of the decision, the crowd booed loudly.[12] Pacquiao appeared to be stunned by the result. Fight promoter Bob Arum was irate, and said that he was worried about boxing's credibility in the aftermath of the decision.[7] He also questioned the competence of the judges.[13] Arum also stated that before the scorecards were read out, Bradley told him "I tried hard but I couldn't beat the guy."[7][14]A few reporters questioned Bob Arum's sincerity in his comments and hinted that he was in on the bad decisions. One reporter, Tito Garcia of FanvsFan.com, interrupted Arum's press conference by loudly accusing Arum of fixing the fight. Garcia was physically ejected from the press conference.

Pacquiao said he was shocked by the result, but accepted the decision respectfully, saying "I did my best. I guess my best wasn't good enough," adding, "He never hurt me with his punches, most of them landed on my arms."[7] Immediately after the fight, Bradley stated, "Every round was pretty close. I got to go home and view the tape and see if I really won."[15] He later remarked, "I thought I won the fight. I didn't think he was as good as everyone says he was. I didn't feel his power."[7]

The decision was criticized by many commentators. The Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times scored the fight 117–111 in favor of Pacquiao,[7][8] while ESPN and Harold Lederman of HBO both scoring the fight 119–109, also in Pacquiao's favor.[16][17] ESPN boxing analyst and longtime trainer Teddy Atlas said that Pacquiao clearly won, and that it was a case of either incompetence or corruption. He added that boxing needs a national commission, so that judges can be accountable for their decisions.[18] According to the AP's count, Pacquiao landed 253 punches to Bradley's 159.[7] Former champion Oscar De La Hoya said that Bradley should have refused the title belt, and Pacquiao had won the fight.[19]

However, not everyone was upset by the result. Corbin Middlemas of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said the fight was very close and difficult to score. "For all of the sports vices, this [decision] wasn't one of them," he said.[4] The only poor decision would have been to award either fighter victory by a large margin, he added.[4]

Following the event, Bradley announced that he would welcome a rematch.[7] Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley II was held April 12, 2014 at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. Manny Pacquiao beat Timothy Bradley in unanimous decision and won back the WBO title.

Main event unofficial score cards

Source:[20]

Writer Agency Scorecard Winner
1 Barry Tompkins Showtime 119-110 Pacquiao
2 Harold Lederman HBO 119-109 Pacquiao
3 Ray Markarian The Sweet Science 119-109 Pacquiao
4 Michael Marley Examiner 119-109 Pacquiao
5 Dan Rafael ESPN 119-109 Pacquiao
6 Vittorio Tafur San Francisco Chronicle 119-109 Pacquiao
7 Michael Woods The Sweet Science 119-109 Pacquiao
8 Ramon Aranda 3 More Rounds 118-110 Pacquiao
9 Mario Cabrera Boxing Republic 118-110 Pacquiao
10 Nigel Collins ESPN 118-110 Pacquiao
11 Mike Coppinger Ring Magazine 118-110 Pacquiao
12 Ace Freeman Fight Fan 118-110 Pacquiao
13 Rich Marotta KFI Los Angeles 118-110 Pacquiao
14 Kelsey McCarson The Sweet Science 118-110 Pacquiao
15 Gabriel Montoya MaxBoxing 118-110 Pacquiao
16 Pete O'Brien USA Today 118-110 Pacquiao
17 Eric Raskin Grantland 118-110 Pacquiao
18 Michael Rosenthal Ring Magazine 118-110 Pacquiao
19 Colin Seymour Examiner 118-110 Pacquiao
20 Ryan Songalia Ring Magazine 118-110 Pacquiao
21 Gary Andrew Poole TIME 118-110 Pacquiao
22 Ryan Burton Boxing Scene 117-111 Pacquiao
23 Scott Christ Bad Left Hook 117-111 Pacquiao
24 Tim Dahlberg Associated Press 117-111 Pacquiao
25 Gareth Davies London Daily Telegraph 117-111 Pacquiao
26 Doug Fischer Ring Magazine 117-111 Pacquiao
27 David Greisman Boxing Scene 117-111 Pacquiao
28 Jorge Hernandez The Low Blow 117-111 Pacquiao
29 Kevin Iole Yahoo! Sports 117-111 Pacquiao
30 Robert Littal Black Sports Online 117-111 Pacquiao
31 Steve Kim Max Boxing 117-111 Pacquiao
32 Ryan Maquiñana Comcast SportsNet Bay Area 117-111 Pacquiao
33 David Mayo MLive 117-111 Pacquiao
34 Kieran Mulvaney HBO 117-111 Pacquiao
35 Lance Pugmire Los Angeles Times 117-111 Pacquiao
36 Chris Robinson Boxing Scene 117-111 Pacquiao
37 Nick Xouris Fight Hype 118-111 Pacquiao
38 Champ Ross Da Truth Boxing 117-111 Pacquiao
39 Luis Sandoval Boxing Scene 117-111 Pacquiao
40 Jonathan Sakti Comcast SportsNet Bay Area 117-111 Pacquiao
41 Tim Starks Queensberry Rules 117-111 Pacquiao
42 Richie Tomassini Comcast SportsNet Bay Area 117-111 Pacquiao
43 Darren Velasco 8 Count News 117-111 Pacquiao
44 Rick Reeno Boxing Scene 116-112 Pacquiao
45 George Willis New York Post 116-112 Pacquiao
46 Steve Zemach Queensberry Rules 116-112 Pacquiao
47 Armando Alvarez Telemundo 115-113 Pacquiao
48 Jake Donovan Boxing Scene 115-113 Pacquiao
49 Lem Satterfield Ring Magazine 115-113 Pacquiao
50 J.C. Casarez Boxeo Mundial 115-113 Pacquiao
51 Thomas Hauser HBO 115-114 Bradley
52 Bart Barry HBO 116-115 Bradley
53 Brian Kenny Top Rank 116-112 Bradley
54 Springs Toledo[21] The Sweet Science 117-112 Pacquiao
55 Cliff Rold Boxing Scene 117-111 Pacquiao

Total: Pacquiao 52, Bradley 3.

WBO review

After the decision the WBO ordered a video review of the bout. The five judges on the WBO's committee all scored the fight in Pacquiao's favor — 117-111, 117-111, 118-110, 116-112 and 115-113. However, the WBO cannot overturn the result of the fight.[22]

International broadcasting

The fight drew 890,000 pay-per-view purchases.[23]

References

  1. ↑ Dan RafaelBoxingArchive (2012-02-06). "Manny Pacquiao agrees to terms for fight with Timothy Bradley Jr. - ESPN". Espn.go.com. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  2. ↑ Parker, Graham (11 June 2012). "Timothy Bradley beats Manny Pacquiao with controversial split points decision". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  3. ↑ Davies, Gareth A (10 June 2012). "Manny Pacquiao loses to Timothy Bradley after controversial split-decision result in Las Vegas". Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Corbin Middlemas (June 10, 2012). "Bradley-Pacquiao bout a fight-of-the-year contender". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  5. 1 2 Satterfield, Lem (2012-02-06). "Pacquiao-Bradley agree to fight on June 9 | RingTV". Ringtv.craveonline.com. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  6. ↑ "Bob Arum: Agreement near on Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley fight". LA Times. 2012-02-06. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Bradley Scores Decision Win over Pacquiao". 5 NBC Chicago. Associated Press. June 10, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Kevin Baxter (June 9, 2012). "Timothy Bradley stuns Manny Pacquiao by split decision". LA Times blog. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Graham, Bryan Armen (2012-06-09). "Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley undercard results". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  10. ↑ "Pacquiao Vs. Bradley Results: Photo Of Official Scorecards". SBNation.com. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  11. ↑ "Filipino boxer Ernie Sanchez wins bout in Pacquiao prelim". GMA News Online. 2012-06-10. Retrieved 2012-06-10.
  12. ↑ "Huge underdog Bradley stuns champ Pacquiao by split decision - Sports - ReviewJournal.com". Lvrj.com. 2012-06-07. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  13. ↑ - Monday (2010-05-25). "Manny Pacquiao demands rematch as promoter criticises Vegas judges - The National". Thenational.ae. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  14. ↑ "No crime in Bradley's win over Pacquiao, Nevada rules without interviewing judges".
  15. ↑ "Bradley". HBO World Championship Boxing. Twitter. 9 June 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2012.
  16. ↑ Pacquiao shocked in split decision, espn.com
  17. ↑ "Fight Credential - ESPN". Espn.go.com. 2011-01-02. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  18. ↑ Tabuena, Anton. "Pacquiao vs Bradley Video: Teddy Atlas Discusses Corruption in Boxing, Says Pacquiao Clearly Won". Bad Left Hook. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  19. ↑ "Athletes stunned by Bradley decision". ESPN.go.com. 2012-06-10. Retrieved 2012-06-11.
  20. ↑ "Bradley beats Pacquiao, media disagrees in landslide". www.csnbayarea.com. Ryan Maquinana, CSN Bay Area. June 10, 2012. Archived from the original on an unknown date. Retrieved June 10, 2012. Check date values in: |archive-date= (help)
  21. ↑ Toledo, Springs. "Small Consolation for Plant-Eaters". TheSweetScience.com. Retrieved 15 September 2012.
  22. ↑ "Pacquiao vs. Bradley: WBO's Investigation Documents". Boxing Scene.
  23. ↑ "Pacquiao-Bradley II numbers down". ESPN.
Preceded by
vs. Juan Manuel Marquez III		 Manny Pacquiao's bouts
June 6, 2012 		Succeeded by
vs. Juan Manuel Marquez IV
Preceded by
vs. Joel Casamayor		 Timothy Bradley's bouts
June 6, 2012 		Succeeded by
vs. Ruslan Provodnikov
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