There
has been an extremely viral YouTube video as of late that has been
circulating around the internet among boxing circles. In the clip (*embedded below for viewing),
the editor/maker of the clip inadvertently intends to showcase what
they deem as having really happened in the now sensationally
over-hyped and increasingly controversial and heavily talked about
bout between reigning WBO Welterweight Champion Timothy “Desert
Storm” Bradley 29-0 (12) and Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao 54-4-2
(38) which occurred on June 9th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. The reason it is inadvertent
is because the creator actually puts a disclaimer with the video
stating, “This video is NOT about who won the fight, nor is it
really about the fight.” A somewhat contradictive statement to be
honest here. Without a doubt the captured images are definitively
about the fight. The video showcases several times where Manny
Pacquiao clearly misses an evasive and defensive Timothy Bradley, as
“Desert Storm” bobs, weaves, and ducks from the left hand of “Pac
Man,” a punch that misses its intended target time and time again
during their fight. The vignette is well put together by an
apparently somewhat trained sports eye, as the misses of Pacquiao are
clear cut and highlighted with accuracy, unlike the punches
themselves. It gives the case for argument for Timothy Bradley and
his oft questioned victory even if the YouTube feature is only 14:58
long with some filler for emphasis.
Yet
the main focus of the piece itself is to bring to the attention of
the boxing public the immediate fact that HBO tends to broadcast
fights and deliver boxing contests, particularly through their
sportscaster’s somewhat distorted viewpoints, in a manner that is
slightly biased. You see, the network is huge on building stars with
star power at any cost, even if the methods they use aren’t
necessarily always the best. They tried to feed it to the public
before with Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor 30-4-1 (18) back in
2005, as they screwed over boxing legend Bernard “The Executioner”
Hopkins 52-6-2 (32), who became one of many in a long line of victims
who fell prey to the networks ridiculousness over the years. Real
boxing fans knew at the time that Hopkins beat Taylor, although the
network would have you believe otherwise. That’s the real skill of
their silver tongued ringside commentators, they can sell you shit
even when you can smell it, they’re just that good. With the
Bradley and Pacquiao fight, it was pretty palpable that as they
called the fight they were all over “Pac Man’s” nuts. Let’s
cut the bullshit for a minute, shall we? Pacquiao draws a crowd and
gets the ratings and money for those who want it most. With every
punch he throws he hits his opponent, at least according to the HBO
commentators anyway. Bradley did do a bang up job in moving his head
and avoiding several of Pacquiao’s punches. The whole fight was
sloppy at best and the thought of them doing it again should make
anyone’s stomach curdle a little. No thanks.
Now
congratulations should solidly be extended to Timothy Bradley. The
decision in his fight against Manny Pacquiao was in no way his fault.
He’s a boxer and won a Championship. It’s just that simple. He’s
trained and worked so hard his entire life to get to this point only
to have it belittled and questioned repeatedly. This isn’t to say
that there aren’t some valid assumptions and viewpoints surrounding
what happened. Yet Bradley shouldn’t be the one to have to answer
to anyone. It’s so easy for us to sit back as armchair boxers and
say this and that about fighters. Tell me, would you be willing to
give up a Championship title that you worked your whole life for
because of someone else’s errors in judgment? Maybe to Bradley he
did win the bout? The judges have already been looked into and
they’re not budging so as it stands he did. Case closed. But HBO is
probably frothing at the mouth at a potential rematch where Pacquiao
rises from the ashes like the proverbial Filipino phoenix to reclaim
his title in dramatic fashion from the antagonist Bradley. It plays
out like the low budget melodrama that no one wants to see. Bradley
should fight other top fighters in the division and leave Pacquiao to
Mayweather (won’t happen). That would be the true test of not only
his skills in the ring but prove as a validation of his current
Championship standing.
The
clip on YouTube is called “Boxing: A Tale Of HBO Nuthuggery,” and
if not anything else it is a little eye-opening, though at times it
can become annoying as well. Look it up (*or view it above on this page). Take it for what it’s
worth. At least someone had the nerve to mention something that we
have all known for far too long, and that is when HBO airs a fight
and one of their darlings is fighting expect the bullshit to fly. In
fact, sometimes it gets so thick that you need to keep your boots on.
“Yes men” work for the networks for a reason. They don’t ask
questions, don’t really care about the sport or its competitors
(outside of using the boxers accomplishments to further their own
analytic hyperbole), and pervert the sport with their incessant bias
and almost legally blind boxing breakdown. No one is perfect but you
would expect the egos at HBO to get it right at least some of the
time. Trainer Emeritus Emanuel Steward is the only credible person on
any one of their broadcasts, and with the exception of the occasional
boxer here and there, such as either Roy Jones, Jr. 55-8 (40) or
Lennox “The Lion” Lewis 41-2-1 (32), their ranks are filled with
drunks, women abusers, failed rappers and blind old men who never
fought a day in their life. The network has their hands so far up
these guys’ asses that all they can taste anymore is Vaseline. Open
your eyes people. Save our sport. Jason can be reached with your questions, concerns, gripes, moans, complaints, insults or kudos at BoxingWarrior@hotmail.com. Your feedback is appreciated as always. Stay honest and keep punching.
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