LAS VEGAS – While Manny Pacquiao was man enough to accept the outcome of his world title fight against Mario Barrios, the top official of MP Promotions would have none of it.
Sean Gibbons obviously has a lot to say with regards to the majority draw decision in Pacquiao’s World Boxing Council welterweight championship match against Barrios at the MGM Grand Saturday night.
READ Barrios marvels at Pacquiao stamina, timing at 46 years old
Gibbons, a former light heavyweight fighter turned boxing executive, stressed that the Filipino boxing icon was the clear winner of the bout.
He went to the extent of saying Pacquiao ‘was robbed’ of the victory.
“It’s ridiculous, Anyway you add it up, it has to be Manny Pacquiao, He didn’t lose,” said Gibbons shortly after Pacquiao fell short of stripping Barrios of his title and become the oldest welterweight champion at 46 years old,
“It just makes no sense. It was a robbery, however way you add it up. It was outright robbery.’
Pacquiao took the fight to Barrios and was leading in all three judges’ scorecards heading to the final three rounds of the bout.
Barrios, 30, however, jabbed his way out of trouble and swept rounds 10 to 12 to salvage the majority draw and keep his crown.
Gibbons saw it otherwise, pointing out Pacquiao scored the more telling blows, thanks to his legendary footwork and quick 1-2 combinations.
'It's just sick'
“He landed the harder, the cleaner, the better punches. I don’t understand it,” said the MP official.
“A draw seemed very weird to me. And to be robbed of a chance to make history, it’s just sick. I just hate this. I really hate boxing, this is the ugly side of it. This is the side for 37 years that just makes me want to get out of it. It’s so sad for me.’
Gibbons mentioned there’s no understanding or plans of having the outcome of the match to be put under protest.
As he said, it is what it is.
“Manny has been on the end of some close decisions,” recalling the same thing that happened in his losses to retired champions Tim Bradley and Jeff Horn.
“So you take the good, you take the bad,” Gibbons said.
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