Jeff Horn Keeps Welterweight Title Win Vs Manny Pacquiao After WBO Review

Jeff Horn is still the WBO welterweight world title champion, unfortunately for Manny Pacquiao.

Jeff Horn WBO Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao requested a review from the WBO last week in conjunction with the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) — a department of his native Philippines’ government — after claiming the officiating during the July 2 bout in Brisbane, Australia was unfair.

The WBO announced in a statement late Monday that of the five independent judges who reviewed the fight, three awarded the victory to Horn, one named Pacquiao the winner and one scored it a draw.

Horn — a 29-year-old Australian former schoolteacher — initially defeated 11-time world champion Pacquiao via unanimous decision.

Several fans and renown boxing announcers said they believed Pacquiao should have been awarded the victory, although the WBO explained in a statement on their website that it does not hold the authority to rescind the judges’ decision unless a legal violation has occurred.

“The WBO does not have power to reverse the judges’ decision based on discretion as it can only be revoked when fraud or a violation of Law has occurred, which is not relevant in this case,” the organization said on their website. “Based on this, five anonymous, competent judges from different countries were asked to watch the bout without sound. Then, the independent results were tabulated to ascertain clearly the rounds each fighter won using an average scale based on 60, 80 and 100 per cent.”

“To determine the winner of each round, 3 out of the 5 officials have to be in agreement.”

WBO president Francisco Valcarcel asked the judges to assign their own scores to rounds. The analysis of the tabulated average scores from all five judges — who came from different countries — revealed that Pacquiao won three rounds: the third, eighth and ninth rounds of the fight by 100 percent, the fifth round by 80 percent and the 11th by 60 percent. Meanwhile, Horn took seven rounds: the first, sixth and 12th rounds by 100 percent, the second, fourth and seventh by 80 percent and the 10th by 60 percent.

The bout was held before a sold-out crowd of 51,000 in Brisbane and was scored 117-111 by Waleksa Roldan and 115-113 each by Chris Flores and Ramon Cerdan. Of the three, Roldan’s score was criticized the most.

“It gives me evidence behind me that I can just use now. Instead of saying ‘I think I won the fight,’ now a heap of other people — professionally — think I won the fight,” Horn told reporters in Brisbane on Tuesday as he prepared to board a flight for Los Angeles. “It’s definitely nice to have it finally put on paper.

“Now just to have it clear in front of us is good.”

The Australian remains undefeated in 18 professional fights.

Horn posted a link to the WBO statement about him maintaining his title on his Facebook page Monday night, and tagged five celebrities who were rooting for Pacquiao and were shocked that the Filipino lost the fight: Samuel L. Jackson, Kobe Bryant, Stephen A. Smith, Teddy Atlas and Aaron Rodgers. 

The bout between Horn and Pacquiao has a rematch clause in the contract, which means the two fighters could face off again sometime in the near future.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA – JULY 02: Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines and Jeff Horn of Australia exchange punches during the WBO World Welterweight Title Fight at Suncorp Stadium on July 2, 2017 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Article by Pablo Mena

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