Calls for an investigation on how the judging went are mounting, and yet the Filipino superstar who lost his WBO welterweight crown via split decision would hear none of it.
“Buong puso natin tanggapin ang desisyon (Let’s accept the decision with all our heart),” said Pacquiao during the “Meet the Champion” bible study Sunday evening in Las Vegas.
The next day, Pacquiao stood in front of more than a thousand worshipers at the Riviera Convention Center in Los Angeles. He was in high spirits, and it seemed that the heartbreaking loss didn’t affect him that much.
Pacquiao clearly won the fight that lasted 12 rounds, getting Bradley in trouble a few times. But the judges saw it otherwise, two of them giving the undefeated American the victory.
“Huwag tayo magtanim ng sama ng loob (Let us not harbor any ill feelings),” said Pacquiao, who attended the religious affair with his wife Jinkee and their children.
The Pacquiao bus left Las Vegas before 9 p.m. and arrived in Los Angeles past 2 a.m.
Pacquiao, however, did not board the bus as he normally does, and took a private vehicle.
Bradley was crowned the new world champion and said after the fight he will give Pacquiao the rematch as stated in the fight contract. It is set Nov. 10.
But the question is if the rematch will still take place in Las Vegas.
With the way the fight was judged, the Pacquiao camp may insist on holding the fight somewhere else.
The fighting congressman, who has won 15 straight fights since losing to Erik Morales in March 2005, said he’s fine with doing the rematch in Vegas.
“We can fight in Vegas. I love Vegas,” he said.
Bradley, meanwhile, said the judges were right in giving him the victory, including CJ Ross and Duane Ford who had it 115-113 for him.
Jerry Roth scored it 115-113 for Pacquiao even if the fight was not as close as his score suggested.
“Well I’ve seen the tape. I won the fight, without a doubt. You could say I won the first round, give or take the second. Lost the third, lost the fourth, lost the fifth, maybe even lost the sixth, you know, give or take,” Bradley told www.ringTV.com <http://www.ringTV.com> .
“But from seven, eight, nine, 10, 11 and 12, I clearly dominated those rounds, man. I dominated those rounds. I know that I won those rounds. I mean, this guy was supposed to stop me. He was supposed to knock me out.
“But I took his best punches, and I fought back hard. You know what I mean? The judges got it right, that’s what I feel,” he said.
