Dunkin Senses More Deciding Bradley Win Not A “Robbery”

Cameron Dunkin is OK, really he is, if you don't think his guy Timothy Bradley beat Manny Pacquiao, as two of three judges said on the night of June 9. But it burns his buns when he hears, to this day, people who think Pacquiao won ten or eleven rounds.

“It's insane to say that,” said the best pure, real-deal boxing manager in the business today. “And people are saying, 'Let's change boxing.' They're so full of (expletive). That was close, say Tim won it, say Manny won it…but to say it was blowout, it's the ruination of boxing, the worst decision in thirty years..Duane Ford was right, CJ Ross was right, Jerry Roth was right. But to have it 119-109!”

Yes, Dunkin is biased toward his guy, Bradley. But he told me he senses that more and people are coming around closer to his way of thinking. Even if they don't think Bradley won, more and more media and fight fans are re-thinking their original stance. They aren't so inclined to so quicky attach the word “robbery” to the controversial–lord, that's an understatement–decision.

Dunkin referenced a YouTube video which is now a viral sensation. He said he watched the presentation, which attempts to build a case that Bradley didn't get much benefit of the doubt from the HBO crew on fight night, three times, and had sent Bradley the video for his perusal as well. “That video was pretty professional,” Dunkin said. Wait, he didn't have a hand in producing it, did he? He laughed; “I wish,” he said.

Dunkin said that two weeks on, Bradley was still a bit edgy, still not having embraced the decision, and the post-fight flak. “That video will make him feel a lot better,” the manager said. Dunkin said Bradley was concerned that promoter Top Rank is down on him. “Is Top Rank done with me?” Bradley asked Dunkin. No, Dunkin assured him, things will smooth out.

So..will Bradley get a rematch? Dunkin said he is assuming a rematch will not be next, for Manny or Bradley, so he is looking at other foes, and for Bradley to get back into the ring sometime in October, November or even December. “Arum said they couldn't sell the rematch, but a lot of people are waking up, and that may change it. I think Bob and Todd want Marquez, but does Manny want Marquez?” And we've all heard Freddie Roach say he's not thrilled with the idea of a fourth Marquez fight. “It's all Manny's call,” Dunkin said. But, Dunkin and Bradley are putting forth a united front, maintaining their pride, and one gets the sense Dunkin would like Top Rank to reach out to them and do a bit of smoothing over, show Bradley a bit of love, if they decide to go ahead with a fight to render that Decision less relevant. Me, I'm for it. You guys know I rewatched the fight a couple days after, and found that most of the rounds could plausibly be scored for Bradley in the mind of a judge.  Not really the criteria I normally use, but plausible is the key word. Using more super slo-mo, I saw Bradley slipping a lot more than I did on fight night, so yes, I think the kid deserves the opportunity to prove that he can win without controversy. Yes, I'd buy it..and so would you, so quit the discerning consumer tough-talk. The hype for the rematch would be immense; people are still arguing this fight weeks after it went down, even more than the last Pacquiao-Marquez fight, so yes, I do believe Arum can sell the fight.

Bradley doesn't need convincing; he was just telling Dunkin how little Pacman touched him on June 9. “He hit me four times, I can count the times, he hit me four times solid,” Bradley told Dunkin.  Not on the face, but the side of head, Bradley maintains. He thinks Pacman has pop, but his hand speed isn't anything stellar. So, has Manny slipped? Dunkin doesn't think so; he was up close and saw the Filipino have some success on June 9. More so, he thinks Bradley is a slick defender. Yes, Dunkin concedes, we did see Manny lose steam, not like the Manny from a couple years ago, so, I guess, that does count as slippage.

At press time, we hear Manny is inclined to want a rematch. So…what say you, readers? Have you softened on the stance of The Decision as a massive robbery? Would you buy the rematch? Has Manny slipped? Weigh in!

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