Bob Arum on Manny Pacquiao-Tim Bradley I: ‘Move On’
Mar 25, 2014 • 3:00 AM ET
By Ryan Maquiñana
Manny Pacquiao’s controversial loss to Timothy Bradley in 2012 sent shockwaves through the boxing world, not for the outcome, but for how it was derived.
Two out of the three judges -- Duane Ford and C.J. Ross -- gave Bradley the nod in a fight that the public overwhelmingly thought Pacquiao had won decisively. The defeat, albeit undeservingly at the time, knocked Pacquiao off his perch as the sport’s best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, who promotes the rematch on April 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, had two words for those still bent on revisiting and rehashing what was -- and still is -- a black eye on the sweet science.
Move on.
“Manny is a very sensible guy,” Arum said. “That decision was two years ago. You’re not going to change the decision. You just go on with your life and you do the best you can in the fight that’s going to take place on April 12. So why would you be exercised any more -- by a decision two years ago. It was what it was, and now you move on.”
Arum said that his sentiment was shared by everyone involved in the card, and that moving forward by hiring the right officials in place is the only resolution.
“I think we all feel that way,” the promoter added. “Whatever it was, it was. Duane Ford is no longer judging. C.J. Ross (who scored Floyd Mayweather’s wide decision win over Canelo Alvarez a draw) retired in disgrace after another crazy decision, and hopefully, the Nevada commission will appoint judges from all over the world for this fight that will give a fair result if the fight doesn’t end in a knockout.”
The troika of judges for Pacquiao-Bradley II have yet to be determined. Longtime Nevada State Athletic Commission director Keith Kizer resigned in January, and a list of 10 finalists to replace him was announced last Wednesday.
Ryan Maquiñana was the boxing producer for NBCOlympics.com during London 2012 and writes a boxing column for CSNBayArea.com. He is a full member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and Ring Magazine's Ratings Panel. E-mail him at rmaquinana@gmail.com , check out his blog at Norcalboxing.com or follow him on Twitter@RMaq28 .
