After viewing the video of the first and second fights between Manny Pacquaio and Timothy Bradley, veteran trainer Teddy Atlas has come into conclusion that the first fight was a draw while the second encounter was a competitive fight.
Atlas is trying to justify why the third fight is necessary in order to determine who indeed is the better fighter between the two. He also wish to address the backlash the trilogy fight had been getting from fight fans when they learned that a third fight has been finalized. Fight fans saw no reason for a third fight to happen as they are convinced that Pacquiao won the first as well as the second fight. Pacquiao and Bradley fought twice in the past two years with Bradley officially winning the first fight while Pacquiao avenged his loss by winning the second fight via a unanimous decision. The first fight ended in controversy when two of the three judges ruled in favor of Bradley despite popular impression that Pacquiao clearly won the fight. After the fight WBO constituted a five-man veteran boxing judges and all of them voted in favor of Pacquiao after watching the video of the fight. Also 53 of the 56 media practitioners present or watching the fight had their scorecards in favor of Pacquiao. Atlas seems definite about his draw verdict on the first fight after watching the film because he is now trying to justify why Bradley got a favorable verdict from the two judges who allowed Bradley to snatch Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight belt. Atlas said he is reviewing the films again because he believes Bradley won at least seven rounds against Pacquiao’s five in the first bout ?The only thing as far as backlash I?ll look at is film,? Atlas told BoxingScene.com. ?I?m a great believer in film, and using that as a tool to win and prepare. So I?ll look at the film. When I looked at the film, I don?t think there should be backlash. Because when I looked at it again, the first fight, I had Timmy winning six rounds. That?s a draw. That?s a draw in my book. I had him winning six rounds,” Atlas told Boxing Scene. “If I look at it again ? which I will look at it again, obviously ? maybe I?d find something else. Maybe I?d say he won seven rounds. I don?t know, because I don?t say things for reasons other than what are meritable, as far as what I?m seeing, what I?m thinking. I don?t say it for reasons to create any kind of thing outside of what I believe. I?m not going to say it for any other purposes. But I saw that,” he added. With regards to the second fight, Atlas said he had Bradley on an even fight until midway to the 12-round bout. Atlas also said that Bradley was injured in the late rounds but was still up until the end of the fight. ?And I also an injured fighter in the rematch, that had a torn calf muscle, being even at the midway point of that fight. He lost that second fight, but he was even in that fight [until the midway point]. So when I know that information, and I?m aware of that, that he was injured, and he was even up until that point, you know what I say? I say to myself, ?I don?t see the backlash. I see a competitive fight. I see a reason for them to fight a third time.? I think that?s the way I approach it,? he said.
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/sports/teddy-atlas-justifies-pacquiao-bradley-trilogy-fight/article/453977#ixzz3wScqk56c
