Do The Right Thing, Bradley
Two U.S. Senators now propose a National Boxing Commission in reaction to the debacle in Nevada.
Every boxer would love to have the perfect record. The Rocky Marciano record. 49-0.
But look at all the truly great boxers whose records weren’t perfect: Jack Johnson: Muhammad
Ali, considered by many to be “The Greatest,” Joe Frazier; Joe Louis: Mike Tyson;
Larry Holmes; Thomas Hearns; Marvin Hagler; Oscar De La Hoya: Ray Leonard; Julio Cesar Chavez: Alexis Arguello: Willie Pep: Roberto Duran;
Sugar Ray Robinson; and the list goes on.
Timothy Bradley did not
beat Manny Pacquiao. He must not keep the belt just because he wants to
maintain a false “perfect record.” Perfect must be perfect — not
contrived, stolen, fraudulently, wrongfully, or corruptly awarded.
We
don’t know what was on the minds of the two judges that awarded the
fight to Bradley each with 115-113 scores. But we know and Bradley knows that he did not win the
fight.
We have reviewed the June 9, 2012 fight for Pacquiao’s WBO Welterweight title at least two times and we,
generously, managed to award Bradley two rounds. Otherwise, Bradley lost
overwhelmingly.
Bradley did not proclaim victory when asked by Max
Kellerman after the fight. Bradley is an honest man. He was not
responsible for the judging. Bradley said he would have to go home and
review the tape to see if he won the fight. Those were not the words of a
victorious boxer.
Fighters know when they have won a fight. Fighters know when they have lost a fight. Bradley knows he lost the fight. Now
Senator John McCain, a Republican, and Senator Harry Reid, a Democrat,
are supporting legislation that would create a U.S. Boxing Commission.
Presumably this national body would be able to monitor corruption at the
State level and enforce discipline on the State commissions that govern
boxing. It’s not a bad idea going forward.
In the meantime, one person has the power to start cleaning up boxing immediately. That person is Timothy Bradley.
Bradley
can start by returning the Title Belt by FedEx back to the Nevada
Athletic Commission. The title belt is tainted beyond rescue. The Fight
should be ruled a no-contest so that Bradley can still maintain the
unbeaten record he wants even though he was defeated. Pacquiao would
still maintain his record of being undefeated in the last seven years.
Bradley’s
reputation will be forever sullied if he keeps an unearned title belt.
The next fight between Bradley and Pacquiao should count as the actual
fight itself — not a “rematch.”
Timothy Bradley must do the right thing.
Note: Call the Nevada State Athletic Commissioner, Raymond “Skip” Avansino Jr., at (702) 486-2575 and demand that he investigate this ugly fix.
