The boxing body responsible for Sunday’s upset bout, which saw welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao lose his belt to underdog challenger Jeff Horn, will review the fight, it said Thursday.
« We will appoint five (5) anonymous competent Judges from different countries to watch the bout without sound distraction, » the letter said.
« Then, we will tabulate the results to ascertain clearly which rounds each fighter won using an average scale based on 60,80 and 100 per cent. This means that 3 of the 5 officials have to agree to determine which fighter won the round. »
The WBO has repeatedly said that it doesn’t have the power to reverse the decision of the three judges, who unanimously awarded the fight to Horn, 117-111,115-113,115-113.
It does, however, state that the fight had a rematch clause in the contract, teasing the possibility that the two boxers may meet again, giving Pacquiao a chance for redemption.
The methodology was reproduced in a Facebook post on the WBO’s page.
In his statement, Pacquiao said he accepted the decision « but as a leader and (a) fighter I have the moral obligation to uphold sportsmanship, truth and fairness in the eyes of the public. »
The GAB’s letter said it also that it did not contest the result.
« I love boxing and I don’t wanna see it dying because of unfair decision and officiating, » added Pacquiao.
Upset
The result has been called one of the greatest upsets in the sport’s history. In his prime, the Filipino boxer, (59-7-2,38 KOs) , was considered by Ring magazine to be the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
It sparked a flurry of social media protest from boxing luminaries and fans alike, who perceived a bias towards the Australian fighter in both refereeing calls and the ultimate decision of the judges.
Despite the outcry over the decision, Pacquiao was gracious in defeat.
« I didn’t expect [him to be] that tough, » he said after the fight. « It’s OK. Part of the game. That’s the decision of the judges. I respect that. »
Before the bout, few thought Horn could take down the 38-year-old Pacquiao, whose last fight and win was against American Jessie Vargas in November 2016.
