Manny Pacquiao Thinks He's Been 'Set Up'
After his controversial defeat to Jeff Horn, Manny Pacquiao has confessed to feeling "set up" at the match, where he lost the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight belt.
Early after the bout, Pacquiao said that the Aussie boxer deserved the win and that he respects the decisions of the judges. However, Boxing Scene notes that his feelings appear to have changed now that he's had more time to process the loss.
In a statement he gave to a group of reporters on his flight back to Manila, Pacquiao had this to say as per ABS-CBN:
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"The referee [Mark Nelson] wasn't competent. I felt I was set up."
Another reporter asked the Filipino champ if his promotional contract with Top Rank ending soon may have impacted the result of the match. Pacquiao urged, "Let's not think about that."
Pacquiao did not go into detail about it, but he also described the judging as "horrible." Ramon Cerdan and Chris Flores both scored seven rounds for Horn with 115–113.
The third judge, Woleska Roldan scored nine of the 12 rounds for Horn 117–111, which was something that led to Pacquiao's coach Freddie Roach to start an investigation for. He told Daily Telegraph:
That was hard, sometimes I think people need to be investigated. At least in America where you get odd scores like that with the judges, the head commissioner should ask at some point, 'Why? Where? Show me how you came up with that score.'
He also called out Nelson's refereeing, saying that he may be "just not doing a good job," which makes it "a WBO concern." He believes that something should be done, but doubts that "they ever will."
The wrestling, getting hit behind the head a lot, it didn't look good, but the referee didn't pay any attention to it. I don't know how he let a professional fighter get away with things like that, if you end up in a headlock after every exchange, someone is doing something wrong.
WBO will review the scoring of the Pacquiao–Horn match, but emphasized that the decision is "irrevocable" unless "fraud of violations of the Law occur."
Either way, Horn is ready for a rematch to prove to his naysayers that he can beat Pacquiao again.
