Saturday, July 01, 2017

Pacquiuao robbed in Australia

Jeff Horn is the new WBO welterweight champion.

The good news is that it was a very entertaining fight on the big stage, which is all too rare for boxing of late.

The bad news is that it was another controversial decision, which is all to common in boxing.

The outcome is that boxing has a new name and draw in Jeff Horn. The Australian Rocky is a world champion and he won’t be teaching school again anytime soon.

round-by-round / ESPN / punch stats

***

Jeff Horn absorbed tremendous punishment throughout the fight. He took so much in the ninth round that the referee nearly stopped the fight in his corner. He was a bloody mess.

But Horn pulled a massive -- and controversial -- upset, as he was awarded a unanimous decision against Manny Pacquiao to win a welterweight world title before an adoring hometown crowd of some 55,000 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia on Saturday night (Sunday morning in Australia).

Shockingly, all three judges scored the fight for Horn (17-0-1, 11 KOs). Judge Waleska Roldan had it 117-111, and judges Chris Flores and Ramon Cerdan both had it 115-113.

ESPN.com scored it 117-111 for Pacquiao. ESPN ringside analyst Teddy Atlas also had it for Pacquiao, 116-111.

Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs) has been here before, losing a decision and a welterweight title to Timothy Bradley Jr. by split decision in 2012 in one of the most controversial decisions in boxing history. Like he was after that loss, which he avenged twice, Pacquiao was gracious.

"That's the decision of the judges," he said. "I respect that."

*** [7/10/17]

WBO review shows Pacquiao lost 5 rounds to 7.  So much for CompuBox.

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