Bayless, new judges for Pacquiao, Bradley tiff

Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley AP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Three veteran judges will be on the hot seat during the Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley grudge rematch along with dependable referee Kenny Bayless on April 12 (April 13 in Manila) at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

On the spotlight will be Glenn Trowbridge of Nevada, Michael Pernick of Florida and John Keane of Great Britain  if the 12-round showdown for the World Boxing Organization welterweight crown goes the full route.

That’s because their colleagues—Duane Ford, CJ Ross and Jerry Roth—botched their jobs on Pacquiao-Bradley I in 2012, with Ford and Ross rewarding the bout and the 147-pound title to Bradley by 115-113 scores and negating Roth’s 115—113 tally for Pacquiao.

Due to the international outrage the split decision generated, an elite panel of judges formed by the WBO reviewed tapes of the bout and unanimously agreed that Pacquiao should have been declared the winner, and by a clear margin at that.

Trowbridge has worked six Pacquiao fights and Pernick three while Keane was at ringside when the Filipino eight-division world champion was knocked out cold by Juan Manuel Marquez in the sixth round of their fourth tussle on Dec. 8, 2012.

Incidentally, Bayless was also the third man on the ring when Pacquiao got caught by a dynamite right by Marquez coming in with a second to go in the round.

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