Ask anyone who watched Manny Pacquiao’s latest championship fight against Jeff Horn on Sunday and they will likely tell you the same thing; Pacquiao was robbed.
He may agree with that thought.
Pacquiao has reportedly backed a request to have the World Boxing Organization review the officiating in his bout with Horn. The request was formally made by the Philippines’ Games and Amusements Board to the WBO. Pacquiao says his endorsement of the review is for the good of the sport of boxing and not necessarily personally driven by his losing.
“I love boxing and I don’t wanna see it dying because of unfair decision and officiating,” Pacquiao said in a statement, according to the Associated Press. “I had already accepted the decision but as a leader and, at the same time, fighter I have the moral obligation to uphold sportsmanship, truth and fairness in the eyes of the public.”
The numbers seemed to favor Pacquiao afterward, and the eyes of almost anyone who watched the match on TV tended to agree.
I'm just going to leave this here. pic.twitter.com/ymYQeTkko4
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) July 2, 2017
We all know how Teddy Atlas thought about the result of the controversial match…
It remains to be seen just what happens next. Should the WBO open a formal review of the bout, which is likely, it could result in the referee or any judges facing possible suspensions. But that’s just the beginning. Anyone found guilty of fixing the match could face federal punishment as well. No matter what a WBO review determines, the result of the match will not be overturned, so Pacquiao’s loss will remain on the books regardless.
