‘I respect the verdict, but I won’

LAS VEGAS—There’s no doubt in Manny Pacquiao’s mind that he beat Timothy Bradley Saturday night.

“I respect the decision, but 100 percent I believe I won the fight,” said Pacquiao. “That’s how we love this boxing.”

Of course, Pacquiao was hurting inside.

Though he was clearly the dominant and better fighter, the judges—totally unmindful of public furor—rewarded Bradley with a split decision and made him the new WBO welterweight champion.

For Pacquiao, however, it was enough that the crowd acknowledged that he was the winner of the fight.

“The fans, in your heart, you know (I won). “It (the loss) was part of the game.”

He assured them that the judges’ decision would only strengthen his resolve to regain the crown, the eighth jewel in his unmatched collection of titles.

“Don’t be dismayed, nor discouraged,” Pacquiao, who was accompanied by wife Jinkee and sons Jimuel and Michael, said during the postfight conference.

“I’m still here. I can still fight. There’s always the next time.”

Pacquiao then blamed himself for not listening to Roach’s advice to gun for the knockout in the 12th and final round.

“I thought I was assured of victory,” said Pacquiao, who acknowledged yielding just three rounds to Bradley in their battle that drew more than 14,000 fans to the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Then, looking at chief promoter Bob Arum, he said: “I want a rematch.”

“That’s what we’ll do. We’ll have a rematch,” Arum replied.

Pacquiao’s fight contract that stands to make him at least $26 million carries a rematch clause and, as Team Bradley had boasted during the prefight hype, would happen on Nov. 10 and at the same venue.

Though Arum broached the idea of holding the fight elsewhere, like in Florida and Texas, Pacquiao disagreed.

“I’m going to be a warrior in the ring in the coming months,” promised Pacquiao.

“I don’t want to finish (the rematch) the whole 12 rounds.”

Pacquiao said he thought Bradley would fight toe-to-toe and trade punches.

Once, Bradley felt Pacquiao’s power, however, the WBO 140-pound titlist chose to fight from a distance and counterpunch.

“Almost every round I hurt him,” said Pacquiao. “I know he felt that (punches), especially from my left hand.”

Pacquiao also dismissed Bradley’s punching power which has knocked out only 12 of 28 previous victims.

“I don’t even remember if he hurt me, but he did hit me with a jab and a few solid punches,” said Pacquiao, who’s pushing through with his plan to bring his family and members of his team to Israel next month.