Those of you who follow boxing know that last weekend the sport saw one of the most controversial decisions of all time. Timothy Bradley defeated Manny Pacquiao to become the welterweight champion, and people who know boxing say it was obvious that Pacquiao won the fight. For a tremendously thorough analysis on how and why the fight could have been fixed, be sure to read LB’s thoughts on what went down in Las Vegas.
After the fight, Pacquiao fans were outraged — so much so that Bradley says he has been receiving death threats since claiming the belt.
“Definitely on Facebook and Twitter, reading people’s comments, e-mails and people are sending me like death threats, telling me to die, telling me to give the belt back, ‘if you’re a man’ and all this hate mail,” Bradley said during an interview with ESPN Radio in Chicago’s Waddle and Silvy Show. “Just people being really rude like I’m the one to blame. ‘If you’re a real champion and want any respect from me then you’d give the belt back.’ I’m like ‘dude I earned the belt and I’m not giving the belt back.’
“Anybody out there that thinks I should give the belt back, the belt is not going back. I deserve the belt. I won the fight regardless of what anyone thinks. The judges thought I won the fight and that is that. I’m not the one to blame here. Don’t be pointing the finger at me, don’t be sending me crazy e-mails and things like that because I really don’t care.”
Unless Bradley had a hand in fixing the fight, he did indeed win the fight fair and square from his perspective. He also denied claims that he told promoter Bob Arum that he felt he lost the fight after hearing the decision, saying he simply said, “I have injuries and did my best.” Fix or no fix, death threats are always taking it too far.
Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE
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