Don’t rush Manny; it won’t be easy

Of course, Timothy Bradley should not be blamed for the boxing anomaly that took place in Las Vegas over the weekend.

And definitely NOT Manny Pacquiao.

They may never stop pointing an accusing finger at promoter Bob Arum, even if his crying call for a probe prospers.

However, it may help if fight critics are made to realize that one limited equipment in the Pacquiao arsenal obviously caused him to be victimized by dubious judging in his failed world title defense.

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It was not seen by many, but Pacquiao was visibly unprepared for the incredible, albeit abnormal, evasiveness Bradley displayed after the beleaguered American shifted to a frantic retreat mode in the second half of the bout.

Pacquiao started missing his target like never before.

Said the Inquirer yesterday: “Time and again Bradley escaped further punishment, not by sticking and moving as he had claimed, but by bobbing and weaving under Pacquiao’s punches.”

Quite right.

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But somewhere through the seventh and ninth rounds, Bradley also turned into a contortionist who, short of licking Pacquiao’s ass or headbutting the floor, successfully escaped the over-anxious Pacman ambush.

Bradley himself failed to score solidly through that deep dizzying dive.

It was a shameless stance that may have never been seen before in a world championship.

But it could have paid Bradley undeserved dividends.

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It’s like this. In an international judging handbook this reporter was made to use for a world championship in Seoul in the early 1980s, one clause specified that a round strictly should never be scored even.

If both combatants failed to land solidly in the three-minute span, the round should be awarded to the fighter who displayed sharper, more admirable defense during the fruitless maneuvers.

It was obvious both Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach were not prepared for the unbelievable elusiveness displayed by Bradley.

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The defense used by Bradley was definitely not admirable—actually disgrace under pressure—but there should be a way to determine if the judges also scored the many Pacquiao misses in favor of Bradley.

If Pacquiao and Roach were caught napping in that scoreless stretch, it could only for the reason that they would never be caught stooping as low as Bradley had done in a successful bid to steal Pacquiao’s crown.

Meanwhile, it may help if Pacquiao pauses before diving into a rematch.

“I will be a warrior next time,” Pacquiao swore calmly in a post-defeat interview the other day.

Of course, it may help if he also tries to go hunting first, do some precision shooting, before he heads for war again.

Or he could visit the baseball park one of these days for some batting practice by toiling through all available throws in the pitcher’s book.

There’s every reason to believe Bradley would not hesitate to dig into his arsenal of shameful defensive tricks in the projected rematch.

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(SALUTE: Zean Macamay, veteran sports scribe who passed away on Monday at age 47, was a most admired, most respected guy at the press row. A true pro, the handsome, shy and hard-working former president of the PBA Press Corps, was a credit to his profession. His body lies in state at the St. Peter’s Memorial Chapel on Quezon Avenue, Quezon City. Goodbye, sir.)