Ummm…I guess the first question I had when I saw this story come up was, “Why isn’t this a bigger story?”
Then I answered my own question, and really, it was a no-brainer: “Because the boxing media is a bunch of idiots and idiots who will just reluctant to take a half-hearted stab to do the right thing if forced, kicked and punched. shouting, to do so.
Veteran Hall of Fame referee Carlos Padilla has admitted to cheating– twice– to secure the win for fellow Filipino Manny Pacquiao in the 2000 WBC international super bantamweight title fight in Antipolo City, Philippines before Nedal Hussein of Australia.
The dirty story was accidentally revealed about a month ago on the official WBC YouTube channel in an interview with Padilla, but did not come to light until journalists who are not boxing journalists. bring it up. Apparently, it was deleted after a wave of outrage began appearing on social media and on fringe boxing news sites.
Here’s what the smiling Padilla had to say about his first hospitalization, that he purposely counted down Pacquiao after the rising Philippines star was injured and knocked down by the Australian boxer:
“Manny is not a world champion yet, he is only good in the Philippines… That match, I was about to go and leave the next day and they said to me ‘Carlos, please… this is this. important match for Manny Pacquiao, because the winner will have a chance to fight for the world championship.’
“So you know the opponent, Hussein, or whatever his name is. He’s taller, younger, stronger and dirtier boxer, managed by Jeff Fenech, the trainer from Australia.
“So in the seventh round, I thought, Manny was knocked down, I thought he was going to get up, but his eyes were crossed. [laughs]. I’m Filipino and everyone watching the match is Filipino, so I extended the count. I know how to do that.
“When he got up, I said to him, ‘Hey, are you okay?’, and still dragged the fight. ‘Are you Okay?’ [Padilla imitates Pacquiao groaning in response] ‘OK, fight!’…Because Manny wasn’t like Manny now, he wasn’t trained by Freddie Roach, he took his dear life and the guy threw him and he fell again.
“I said to the opponent ‘hey, you don’t do this,’ you know, I’m prolonging the fight, ‘you don’t do that. All right, judge, [point] deduct.’
Padilla then giggled as he performed his second cheat, which ultimately ended the bout and of course a 10 TKO win for Pacquiao.
After Hussein was headbutted by Pacquiao, Padilla admitted to taking advantage of that opportunity to win the Philippines from a crushing defeat. He would claim a punch in the ass and push for the match to be abandoned, feeling that a review of the scoreboard after an accidental head-on collision would see Pacquiao go away with points forfeited. .
“Manny was still moaning and then [I told Pacquiao] ‘wake up, are you ok?’ [laughs] and then because he was shorter he headbutted the other and got a cut, but I declared it a punch. If there is a headbutt you have to stop the game and declare the deduction to the judges, but I didn’t do that, which means the game can go on.
“It [the cut] not really big and not really… but I’ve never been examined by a doctor [because] I want to see it serious [laughs].
“[Later in the fight] I said ‘better take that guy down, Manny, because we could be in trouble.’ The guy is strong.
“I told the doctor to change my position to a neutral angle, I looked at him and he understood what I meant. He went through the ropes and [gestures looking at Hussein before waving it off].”
So yes.
Ironically, Padilla’s interview took place to celebrate his entry into the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame. But, perhaps, I should replace “ironically” with “appropriate”.
And for those who can cry about this 22 years ago and the water under the rusty bridge– Hussein, the boxer who was tricked into a well-deserved victory that will change his life forever, certainly does not feel see “passing” it.
“My first reaction? I was gutted,” Hussein told The Daily Mail, of his reaction to Padilla’s admission. “I just had a bowel movement. Its arrogance. I’m also really angry– I’m on fire.
“Winning that war would change my life. I missed out on a few hundred dollars and a world title fight. I could have bought a house and was so much better.
“I could have gotten married sooner. And with my career, I’ve missed the big fights [afterwards] because of.
“Then I hated the sport…I just couldn’t handle politics.”
Hussein claims no malice against Pacquiao, but is furious with the veteran Filipino referee, who he recently called a “rotten dog” on social media.
“I don’t want to talk to him [Padilla]. It’s not going to end well,” Hussein said.
Now that this article is out, let’s see how long it took for the Padilla story to spread to the other major boxing media, shame to say something, anything about it.
P.S. The WBC’s silence on this is jarring. Come on Mauricio Sulaiman, you’ve always been right about the integrity of the sport and your respect for the boxers, what do you have to say?
