Warren: Pacman storm over the top

By ESPNSTAR.com staff

Bradley emerged victorious via split decision with two judges awarding him the fight 115-113 and a third scoring 115-113 for Pacquiao, despite many feeling that the Filipino was a clear winner.

Saturday's defeat in Las Vegas was the first time Pacquiao had lost in seven years, and the furore over the result of the fight has led to the World Boxing Organisation to open up an investigation.

However, Warren cannot understand what the big fuss is about.

"Although Pacman started the fight slowly, from the second to seventh round he took control. But as we've seen in Pacquiao's last four fights he hasn't found the punch to put them away and it's gone the distance," Warren wrote in his column for The Sun.

"The media and fans worldwide clearly felt that Pacquiao had won but I think some of the controversy surrounding it is way over the top.

"Bradley twisted his ankle in the second round, fought all the way and then had to be taken in a wheelchair to the post-fight press conference.

"Despite losing his WBO world welterweight title Pacquiao handled it magnanimously by saying: 'It's a fight and I lost. We'll fight again.'

"But Bob Arum, who promotes both boxers, was fuming and said he felt ashamed by the decision being given to Bradley."

Warren pointed out that "it was only six months ago" when the public were talking about how fortunate Pacquiao was to get the decision against Juan Manuel Marquez in their trilogy as most people felt that the Mexican had clearly won the fight.

"Every time there is a bad decision it seems to be the end of boxing," he said.

"Over a decade ago Lennox Lewis' controversially drew with Evander Holyfield. I thought that it was a close fight and could have gone either way but, at the time, Emanuel Steward said it was ‘disgusting' and Lewis' promoter Lou Duva said ‘this is worst decision ever'. But it wasn't.

"People were saying that Amir Khan was robbed of his world titles against Lamont Peterson last year but when you take away the point deductions for Khan's pushing there wasn't much in the fight anyway.

"I don't think the Bradley decision will be reversed but a rematch will be ordered. So where does that leave the potential showdown between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather?

"Remember it took years before Lewis and Mike Tyson finally met. By the time the fight happened in 2002, Tyson was way past his best."

Pacquaio has a rematch clause in his contract with Bradley and it appears likely that the two men will meet again in the near future.