Mainit na pinag-uusapan ngayon ang rebelasyon ng dating boxing referee na si Carlos Padilla ukol sa diumano’y “pandaraya” na ginawa niya sa isang laban noon ng Pambansang Kamao na si Manny Pacquiao.
Sa video na ibinahagi ng World Boxing Council nitong nakaraang October 6, 2022, kaugnay ng induction ni Padilla sa Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame, ikinuwento nito ang pagtulong niya umano kay Manny laban sa Australian fighter na si Nedal Hussein sa Antipolo City noong October 10, 2000.
Ang mananalo sa naturang laban ay lalaban sa world championship.
Sabi ni Padilla, "That fight, I'm about to go and leave the following day, and they told me, 'Carlos, please this is an important fight for Pacquiao because the winner will have the chance to fight for the world championship.'"
Ayon kay Padilla, si Hussein ay "taller, younger, stronger, and a dirty fighter..."
Nang bumagsak si Pacquiao sa fourth round ay pinatagal daw ni Pacquiao ang countdown para mabigyan ng pagkakataon ang Pinoy boxer na makabangon.
Natatawa pa niyang sabi, "I think [it was the fourth round], Manny got knocked down, I thought he was going to get up, but his eyes were cross-eyed.
"I am Filipino and everybody is Filipino watching the fight, so I prolonged the count. I know how to do it.
"When he got up, I told him, 'Hey, are you okay?' Still prolonging the fight. 'Are you okay?' 'Okay, fight!"
Dagdag pa ni Padilla, “Because he [Pacquiao] is shorter he headbutted the other guy and there is a cut, but I declared it a punch.
"If there is a headbutt you have to stop the fight and declare to the judges a point deduction, but I didn’t do that, the fight continue, meaning the fight could continue.
"[The cut] is not really big—but I never got the doctor to check it [because] I want to see it seriously.”
Nanalo si Manny sa laban nila ni Hussein sa pamamagitan ng TKO o “Technical Knock Out.”
PACQUIAO, HUSSEIN REACT
Sa ulat ni Maki Pulido sa 24 Oras kahapon, November 30, 2022, sinabi ni Hussein na wala siyang "hard feelings" kay Pacquiao, pero galit siya sa diumano'y pandaraya na ginawa ni Padilla.
Kung hindi lang daw pinahaba ni Padilla ang laban, saad niya, "I would've won because it would've been a knockout."
Dapat daw managot si Padilla sa kanyang nagawa.
Aniya, "He should be held accountable. He shouldn't be in any Hall of Fame because he's not a credible referee. He's a cheat."
Samantala, sa panayam naman ng ABS-CBN News kay Pacquiao kahapon din, sinabi nitong hindi siya ang nandaya sa laban nila ni Hussein noong 2000 kung saan siya ang itinanghal na panalo.
Sabi ng dating senador, "Hindi man daya. Pinaboran lang tayo, pabor lang siguro siyempre home court. As a boxer, ginawa ko lang naman yung tama.
"Ako naman, boxer lang ako. Ginagawa ko lang yung trabaho ko sa taas ng ring.
"That's his problem, not mine," pagtukoy pa niya sa inamin ni Padilla na "pandaraya."
Twenty-one years old lamang noon si Manny at kasalukuyang paangat ang karera sa boxing.
Si Carlos Padilla ay ama ng Divine Diva na si Zsa Zsa Padilla.