Manny Pacquiao's camp criticises Aussie opponent, slam match officials after Filipino's shock loss to former school teacher in WBOâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088welterweight title bout
Australia's Jeff Horn (right) lands a punch on Philippines’ Manny Pacquiao during their WBO bout in Brisbane yesterday. Pic/AFP
Manny Pacquiao's camp yesterday slammed match officials after the Filipino great lost his World Boxing Organisation welterweight title in a controversial unanimous decision to Australia's Jeff Horn yesterday.
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"The referee was sketchy, the judges were crazy," fumed Pacquiao's strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune, who is a former Australian heavyweight champion.
"Manny lost the fight, but Jeff Horn looks like a pumpkin," Fortune added, referring to Horn who finished the fight with a badly swollen face and needing stitches over his right eye. The three judges scored the fight 117-111, 115-113 and 115-113 to Horn. "Those scores, that card? It should be the other way around," said Fortune.
Sporting greats in shock
The boxing and sporting greats were dismayed by the result. "This is what's wrong with boxing," tweeted former undisputed world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.
"Horn was very game but I'm hard pressed to see how he could have won that fight by any stretch!" American football quarterback Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers was equally forthright.
"Boxing is a joke, and it proves it again tonight. Are you kidding me with those scorecards? #joke #rigged," Rodgers said on Twitter.
Baseball and NFL legend Deion Sanders said: "Pacquiao was robbed! I'm really upset right now. This is ignorant. God bless you Manny and all you do for your country."
Statistics back Pacquiao
The fight statistics seemed to back the belief that Pacquiao had done more than enough to win. Broadcaster ESPN said that Pacquiao had landed 182 punches to 82 from the challenger over the 12 rounds.
Two of the judges, Waleska Roldan and Chris Flores, were from the US while the third, Ramon Cerdan, was from Argentina. The referee, Mark Nelson, was also from the US.
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