In a fight Pacquiao gave the impression to have in hand, 2 judges determined otherwise, giving Bradley a split call Saturday night and ending the Filipino fighter's outstanding seven-year unbeaten run.
Promoter Bob Arum fumed, the gang at the MGM Grand arena booed, and Pacquiao appeared shocked when the choice was announced. Arum said there would be a November rematch, though he blasted the method the choice went down.
"I've never been as ashamed of the game of boxing as i'm tonight," said Arum, who handles each fighters.
Bradley came on robust within the later rounds, winning 5 of the last six rounds on 2 scorecards and 4 on the third. He won 115-113 on 2 scorecards, whereas losing on the third by identical margin. The Associated Press had Pacquiao winning 117-111.
"I did my best," Pacquiao said. "I guess my best wasn't adequate."
Pacquiao tried to show the fight into a brawl, using his power to harm Bradley within the early rounds. however Bradley modified ways within the middle rounds and used his boxing skills to win enough rounds to require the slender call for the welterweight title.
It ended a 15-fight winning streak by Pacquiao dating to 2005 that turned him into a boxing superstar and created him a national hero within the Philippines.
"I thought I won the fight," Bradley said. "I did not assume he was nearly as good as everybody says he was. I did not feel his power."
Ringside punching statistics showed Pacquiao landing 253 punches to 159 for Bradley, who vowed before the fight to require the 147-pound title from Pacquiao. The Compubox statistics showed Pacquiao landing additional punches in ten of the twelve rounds.
Bradley was thus assured that he had outsized tickets printed up for a Nov. ten rematch which will currently possible happen.
Bradley appeared hurt within the fourth and fifth rounds, however Pacquiao had bother landing huge punches afterward. Still, he appeared on top of things of the fight everywhere however on the judge's scorecards.
"Can you think that? Unbelievable," Arum said. "I went over to Bradley before the choice and he said, 'I tried exhausting however i could not beat the guy.'"
Bradley said he hurt his ankle within the second spherical, which trainer Joel Diaz said he may either quit or try and take the fight to Pacquiao.
"I got my second wind within the sixth spherical," Bradley said. "I worked the angles, sticking and moving."
Pacquiao said he studied Bradley on tape before the fight and wasn't stunned by something he did. He said he thought he was on top of things of the fight and was shocked when the choice went against him.
"He never hurt me along with his punches, most of them landed on my arms," Pacquiao said.
Pacquiao tried to brawl with Bradley and gave the impression to hurt him in each the fourth and fifth rounds. however Bradley started moving and counter punching, though he never gave the impression to land any shots that hurt Pacquiao.
Pacquiao had vowed to seem spectacular against Bradley when struggling in his last outing with Juan Manuel Marquez, a fight several thought he lost. And he did early, landing sensible long left hands whereas beating Bradley to the punch on most exchanges.
"He hurt me a handful of times along with his left," Bradley said. "He's a beast."
Trainer Freddie Roach told Pacquiao when the tenth spherical that he had management of the fight, and urged him to fight exhausting the ultimate 2 rounds.
"You have six minutes to travel, son," Roach said. "It's your fight."
But it wasn't Pacquiao's fight, with Bradley obtaining credit for winning a number of the shut middle and later rounds. when the eleventh spherical Bradley went back to his corner and trainer Joel Diaz told him he required to win the ultimate spherical.
"I listened to my corner," Bradley said. "I have to be compelled to provide him a rematch currently."
Arum said there'll be one on Nov. 10, though he thought Pacquiao won simply, as did most writers at ringside.
"I'll create lots of cash off the rematch, however this was outrageous," Arum said.
It was the most important fight of Bradley's career and it came with a minimum $5 million payday. The rematch are even richer, though Pacquiao's loss may harm any plans for a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Mayweather failed to see the fight as a result of he's serving a sentence on a domestic abuse charge at a jail some miles from the MGM Grand.
