MANILA, Philippines – As a prizefighter, WBO flyweight champion Brian Viloria is embarrassed by the scandalous decision that took away the WBO welterweight title from Manny Pacquiao and gave it to Timothy Bradley Jr. in Las Vegas last weekend.
?Manny won the fight hands-down,? said Viloria in an overseas phone call from his Los Angeles apartment yesterday. ?Manny came close to knocking Bradley out in the fourth and fifth rounds. Bradley got hurt. But I thought Manny pulled back a bit. He could?ve finished him off. He pulled back from the gas pedal. Even then, he won most of the rounds. Starting the fifth round, all Bradley did was to box and run. He didn?t want to go toe-to-toe with Manny after feeling his power.?
Viloria watched the fight from the first row at the MGM Grand Garden Arena ringside as he did commentary work for Solar TV in the satellite feed to the Philippines. He scored it 116-112 for Pacquiao, giving Bradley the last three rounds.
?I think Manny slowed down a little bit,? he said. ?He?s not the same Manny who weighed 120 or 130 pounds firing 200 shots a round. It had nothing to do with age. Against Bradley, I felt he fought a more technical and tactical style, probably because Bradley comes in with his head up a lot. I still believe Manny is better than anybody else in his division right now. I didn?t see the high volume of punches that Manny usually throws because Bradley?s style makes it difficult for you to keep firing. Bradley bobs and weaves a lot.?
Viloria said he?s not optimistic of a positive result from an investigation that authorities are supposed to undertake in getting to the bottom of the outrageous result. ?I don?t think the decision will be overturned,? he said. ?If the officials conduct an investigation, it will just be to appease the fans. They want to show that things are being done to address this outrage. It?s hard to overturn a decision. That win by Bradley turned off a lot of fans from the sport. I heard the boos from the crowd. I think even Bradley was shocked that he won. I heard he told Bob (Arum) he tried his best but couldn?t beat Manny ? that was before the decision was announced.?
If the judges who scored it for Bradley (Cynthia J. Ross and Duane Ford) are found to be incompetent, their licenses may be suspended indefinitely as was the case with the judges in last year?s disputed decision in the fight between Paul Williams and Erislandy Lara in Atlantic City. But if Ross and Ford are found to be guilty of corruption, the decision will be nullified and the fight declared a no-contest. In the event of a no-contest, the WBO throne will likely be declared vacant unless there is a move to reinstate Pacquiao as champion.
Viloria said he?s ambivalent about a Pacquiao-Bradley rematch. ?Technically, I don?t want to see a rematch because Manny has nothing to prove,? he said. ?It?s clear Manny won the fight. It?s so mixed up. But maybe, they should do a rematch so Manny can get back his title and set the record straight. I?m just wondering if fans will be interested in a rematch, if they?ll buy tickets or watch on pay-per-view. Maybe, they?ll go through with it in the end just so Manny gets his revenge and prove that the decision was ridiculous and a fluke.?
Viloria said if Pacquiao has three fights left in his timetable before retiring, he?d like to line up three opponents in this order ? Bradley, Juan Manuel Marquez and Floyd Mayweather Jr. ?That would be a fitting climax to his brilliant career,? said Viloria. ?In a Bradley rematch, I think Manny should just knock him out and not let the judges decide the winner. That will solve the problem of the eventuality of a controversial decision. Then, he can fight Marquez again to settle their issue. Finally, Manny can close out his career by beating Mayweather.?
As for his own plans, Viloria said HBO Sports recently contacted his Los Angeles manager Gary Gittelsohn on the possibility of a marquee matchup against WBA lightflyweight champion Roman (El Chocolatito) Gonzalez of Nicaragua in August or September.
?Of course, I?ll take him on,? said Viloria. ?That?ll be a huge fight. Chocolatito is undefeated and I understand nobody in Mexico wants to fight him. He?s moving up in weight so it?ll be a defense of my title. If it happens, I?ll be ready. That fight will probably be in Las Vegas.?
Viloria, 31, has won his last five outings since losing his IBF lightflyweight crown to Carlos Tamara two years ago. He wrested the WBO flyweight crown from Julio Cesar Miranda in Honolulu last July and has since repulsed two highly touted Mexican challengers Giovani Segura and Omar Ni?o Romero, both inside the distance. His record is 31-3, with 18 KOs. Gonzalez, 24, has won seven of his last eight bouts by stoppage and totes an unblemished record of 32-0, with 27 KOs.
