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| Boxing deserves a noble fight, and Manny Pacquiao should provide it | Boxing deserves a noble fight, and Manny Pacquiao should provide it |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Boxing deserves a memorable fight, a clean and noble contest unsullied by controversy. It should get one in Las Vegas on Saturday night. And if, as I expect, Manny Pacquiao goes toe to toe with Timothy Bradley and knocks out the American to reclaim the WBO welterweight title the judges ripped from him when these fine fighters first met nearly two years ago, justice, of sorts, will be done. | Boxing deserves a memorable fight, a clean and noble contest unsullied by controversy. It should get one in Las Vegas on Saturday night. And if, as I expect, Manny Pacquiao goes toe to toe with Timothy Bradley and knocks out the American to reclaim the WBO welterweight title the judges ripped from him when these fine fighters first met nearly two years ago, justice, of sorts, will be done. |
| If the 35-year-old Filipino challenger does not stop the 30-year-old American champion the sport will be delivered again into the sweating hands of four officials, a referee and three hopefully attentive judges, in one of sport's enduring lotteries. That is not to say the decision will be incorrect – but the level of certainty could again be minimal. | If the 35-year-old Filipino challenger does not stop the 30-year-old American champion the sport will be delivered again into the sweating hands of four officials, a referee and three hopefully attentive judges, in one of sport's enduring lotteries. That is not to say the decision will be incorrect – but the level of certainty could again be minimal. |
| Let us name these honourable men before the dagger lands. Your referee for the evening, ladies and gentlemen, is Mr Kenny Bayless, a 63-year-old Las Vegan of repute, who has been the third man in world title fights for 20 years. He will have the confidence of the fighters and probably will have little to do except remember his numbers up to 10. | Let us name these honourable men before the dagger lands. Your referee for the evening, ladies and gentlemen, is Mr Kenny Bayless, a 63-year-old Las Vegan of repute, who has been the third man in world title fights for 20 years. He will have the confidence of the fighters and probably will have little to do except remember his numbers up to 10. |
| Bayless will be assisted at ringside by Michael Pernick from Florida, who has travelled extensively with the WBO (and was widely at odds with his colleagues when Arthur Abraham beat Robert Stieglitz in Germany last year), the experienced Las Vegan Glenn Trowbridge, who can sit on the fence in close fights, and the Canadian Craig Metcalfe, whose 117-111 was the most accurate card when the notorious CJ Ross scored Floyd Mayweather's masterclass against Saúl Álvarez a draw. | Bayless will be assisted at ringside by Michael Pernick from Florida, who has travelled extensively with the WBO (and was widely at odds with his colleagues when Arthur Abraham beat Robert Stieglitz in Germany last year), the experienced Las Vegan Glenn Trowbridge, who can sit on the fence in close fights, and the Canadian Craig Metcalfe, whose 117-111 was the most accurate card when the notorious CJ Ross scored Floyd Mayweather's masterclass against Saúl Álvarez a draw. |
| In few other multimillion-dollar sports would a champion as dominant as Mayweather was that night be subjected to such absurd judgment. Or when only one of 121 fight writers polled after Pacquiao-Bradley agreed with the decision. (I shall save his blushes). That is why both fighters on Saturday night are determined to leave no room for doubt. And that is why we will probably get a great fight. It should be worth keeping the coffee warm through the night if you are watching on BoxNation. | In few other multimillion-dollar sports would a champion as dominant as Mayweather was that night be subjected to such absurd judgment. Or when only one of 121 fight writers polled after Pacquiao-Bradley agreed with the decision. (I shall save his blushes). That is why both fighters on Saturday night are determined to leave no room for doubt. And that is why we will probably get a great fight. It should be worth keeping the coffee warm through the night if you are watching on BoxNation. |
| Even when decent men such as Pacquiao and Bradley collide in the ring, decorum lasts as long as the introductions. But, in a leadup that had all the frisson of spilt tea in a vicarage, it was left to the old Rottweiler Bob Arum to clamp his teeth into the promotion this week. | Even when decent men such as Pacquiao and Bradley collide in the ring, decorum lasts as long as the introductions. But, in a leadup that had all the frisson of spilt tea in a vicarage, it was left to the old Rottweiler Bob Arum to clamp his teeth into the promotion this week. |
| At the tailend of another tame gathering masquerading as a press conference, Arum (who has presided over enough of these charades himself) railed at the MGM's proprietors for bending to the will and glamour of Mayweather, whose image swamps the property, even though his fight against Marcos Maidana is three weeks away. Where, Bob wanted to know, was his man Manny? (Oh, and Bradley.) | At the tailend of another tame gathering masquerading as a press conference, Arum (who has presided over enough of these charades himself) railed at the MGM's proprietors for bending to the will and glamour of Mayweather, whose image swamps the property, even though his fight against Marcos Maidana is three weeks away. Where, Bob wanted to know, was his man Manny? (Oh, and Bradley.) |
| The rant got more traction than any of the mannered efforts by HBO to ramp up animosity between fighters who do not know the meaning of the word in the increasingly absurd face-offs that require the antagonists to feign hatred when what they really feel is impatience, anxiety and mounting adrenaline. | The rant got more traction than any of the mannered efforts by HBO to ramp up animosity between fighters who do not know the meaning of the word in the increasingly absurd face-offs that require the antagonists to feign hatred when what they really feel is impatience, anxiety and mounting adrenaline. |
| There have been subplots. Bradley, we are told, received death threats. | There have been subplots. Bradley, we are told, received death threats. |
| Pacquiao, who has been wrestling with tax issues in the US, has obligations as a Congressmen in the Philippines – still recovering from the devastation of last year's Typhoon Haiyan – and is a father of four with another child imminent (Bradley also has four children). | Pacquiao, who has been wrestling with tax issues in the US, has obligations as a Congressmen in the Philippines – still recovering from the devastation of last year's Typhoon Haiyan – and is a father of four with another child imminent (Bradley also has four children). |
| It is a wonder that Pacquiao can juggle so many things in his life, and that has long been a concern among critics who reckon he has struggled to stay focused since talks with Mayweather for the biggest fight of all time foundered long ago. | It is a wonder that Pacquiao can juggle so many things in his life, and that has long been a concern among critics who reckon he has struggled to stay focused since talks with Mayweather for the biggest fight of all time foundered long ago. |
| "I am still open to that fight and it's up to him if he wants it," Pacquaio said. "It's a fight the fans want and because of that I would love to make it happen. My phone line is available 24/7; any time he can call me and say: 'Let's get the fight on', and it's on. It does get frustrating when you keep getting asked but it shows it's a fight the fans and public want to see." | "I am still open to that fight and it's up to him if he wants it," Pacquaio said. "It's a fight the fans want and because of that I would love to make it happen. My phone line is available 24/7; any time he can call me and say: 'Let's get the fight on', and it's on. It does get frustrating when you keep getting asked but it shows it's a fight the fans and public want to see." |
| As for Bradley, Pacquiao added: "He has said that I only fight for money and have lost my hunger but he's very wrong if he truly believes that. This fight you're going to see a very aggressive and exciting Manny Pacquiao. I don't want to leave it to the judges' scorecards. If I can get the knockout, then that's what I'm going for because I'm going to show the world that the best is yet to come from me." | As for Bradley, Pacquiao added: "He has said that I only fight for money and have lost my hunger but he's very wrong if he truly believes that. This fight you're going to see a very aggressive and exciting Manny Pacquiao. I don't want to leave it to the judges' scorecards. If I can get the knockout, then that's what I'm going for because I'm going to show the world that the best is yet to come from me." |
| He might not have enough left for Mayweather but he should be too good for Bradley – and, this time, the judges should have little to do with it. | He might not have enough left for Mayweather but he should be too good for Bradley – and, this time, the judges should have little to do with it. |
| • Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD & Virgin 546) this Sunday at 2am. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe. |