Bob Arum wants an inquiry for the Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley fight. He is calling for a complete investigation into the results that awarded Bradley the WBO welterweight title. On June 11, he indicated that he plans to reach out to the "Nevada attorney general's office" and insists that Pacquiao won the fight. Since Arum represents both Pacquiao and Bradley, he benefits in either case, and I think he is using this to create attention for a possible rematch.
The Inquiry
The June 9 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley ended with a split decision with two judges now being accused of making the wrong choice. Bob Arum has stated, "This is a decision that hurts boxing." Arum insists that Manny Pacquiao clearly won the fight and deserves to have his WBO welterweight title back. Now, he wants an inquiry to investigate possible corruption.
At this point, the Nevada State Athletic Commission has no plans to investigate the judges involved in the fight. Although I think it was obvious that Pacquiao deserved to win, the commission does not want to be tangled up in the controversy. Some fans are encouraging others to contact the Nevada State Athletic Commission and demand an investigation.
Benefitting in Either Case
Bob Arum represents both Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley, so money is not an issue for him. What does Arum gain from an investigation into the June 9 fight? He may be trying to build hype for a rematch. There is a rematch clause in the contract that Pacquiao and Bradley signed prior to the bout. By building media attention around them, Arum may be hoping that a rematch would attract even more viewers.
Arum may also have other motives for wanting an inquiry into the judges' decision. He has been accused multiple times of corruption and fixing fights. The June 9 bout is not an exception. Fans have accused him of deliberately setting up the results and making sure that Bradley would end up with 115-113 at the end of the night. It is possible that Arum is hoping to deflect attention away from his involvement in the fight by focusing on the corruption of the judges.
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Lana started following boxing before Manny Pacquiao began his professional career. Follow @Lana_Bandoim on Twitter.
