“Draw Would Have Been Fair”

(Op-Ed: A Pacquiao-Mayweather Post script)

I have watched Manny Pacquiao fights at ring side, on two occasions at least and for some time I have anchored some radio coverage on them in my beloved General Santos City, albeit, from pay per views which is being spiced up with the prevailing atmosphere in the growing Southern Mindanao city every time the PAC-Man fights.

In all of these I do unofficial scoring round for round, which if not the same with the scores of the judges at ring side were at least nearly the same with what they have.

The last time around where I was at ring side (press row/media section) was at the Cotai Arena in Macau when Pacquiao masterfully demolished Chris Algieri. Since media accreditation is expected to be difficult during the Pacquiao-Mayweather tussle, I opted not to renew my U.S. visa for such bout.

I was not in Gensan and it was last Sunday I reverted to watching a Pacquiao fight on pay per view since I already had it at Quest Hotel in Cebu City. And so lo and behold, when the verdict was announced, I was not in agreement.

One, the 118-110 of Dave Moretti, incidentally from Las Vegas, Nevada where Mayweather also resides is totally unacceptable. Probably, Moretti was looking somewhere else when the two protagonist were engaging in the ring.

Well, another Nevadan Burt Clements have it closer at 116-112 along with Glen Feldman of Connecticut, but be that as it may, all of them, Americans, awarded a “unanimous decision” for Floyd, their fellow American.

Sour-graping as a fellow Filipino, Pacquiao, no I am not, in fact, another one who was at the ringside of the MGM Grand Garden Arena at that time by the name of Jeff Powell of the London based Sportsmail seemed to have the same observation that this writer have, seeing it as a draw, 115-115 (please see screenshot photo which appeared at the Daily Mail online).

The scorecard of Jeff Powell of the UK based Sportsmail alongside that of the three boxing judges of the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight (screen shot photo)

This corner have it 114-114, even, simply because, Mayweather never dominated Pacquiao at all. That he was in control of the fight, I do not buy it, he evaded the punches of Pacquiao by either running around the ring or by back pedaling or backing off when the Filipino boxing pride is pursuing him.

The scorecards Dave Moretti, Burt Clements and Glen Feldman on the Pacquiao-Mayweather championship bout (screen shot photo)

Mayweather went in and out, calling it as manifestation of a “technically brilliant” boxer but if brilliance is being done along with tackling, holding, pushing, and hitting at one point almost below the belt, then isn’t it giving boxing brilliance a bad connotation?

Alright, boxing purist and self proclaimed topnotch boxing analyst would argue that the compustats punching scoring would support Mayweather but remember, it is not the machine that is really at work, it is human operated, it has “operators” which would key in if a boxer would throw a punch and whether it landed or miss. I am not saying that the punching statistics of the fight were rigged but humans do commit errors so it would have been best to the sport of boxing if the computers would just do the recording itself and no human intervention would be done.

Lest I forget, while Mayweather would be laughing all the way to the bank because of his guaranteed $200 million, Judge Moretti et. al, as per newspaper reports would only received a professional fee of $20, 000 each (at least 880,000 in Philippine peso). Pittance is an understatement compared to what Mayweather will have, so is this something that is intriguing? It is up to you folks. Yes,  Mayweather has been declared the winner, but under these circumstances, would calling him then The Best Ever (TBE) really be deserving? I am not claiming to be an expert boxing analyst, I earn my keeps through journalism and what not and that said, I honestly believe that putting the historic Pacquiao-Mayweather in proper perspective is something that is of great worth.

Manny believe he won the fight, that’s his, to this corner, it’s close and declaring it a draw would have been fair. I am not alone, ask Jeff Powell too.