While some may dismiss Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao's non-knockout win over Timothy Bradley Jr. Sunday as boring, international boxing judge and referee Danrex Tapdasan sees it as a show of Pacquiao's cerebral side.
"(I)t's not about the knockout. It's all about how you study your opponent. These are world-class fighters, heavily conditioned," Tapdasan said in an interview on GMA News TV's "News to Go."
He said that had Pacquiao adopted an aggressive stance and gone for the knockout, he could been at the business end of a knockout punch from the younger Bradley.
"Kung si Manny Pacquiao entered this fight as the young Manny Pacquiao na sugod ng sugod, yung kaliwa lang ang kanyang inaasahan tapos paikot-ikot sa kalaban, I was afraid baka ma-headbutt siya along the way roon sa first half ng laban at matalo siya o magtabla lang ang laban," he said.
He added that with Bradley packing a strong punch, Pacquiao stood little chance of winning if his footwork and reflexes were slow.
Yet, he said Pacquiao learned to adjust, weathering Bradley's attacks in the first six rounds and getting back at his foe in the second half of the match when Bradley was getting tired.
Tapdasan also noted Pacquiao "knows how to move," moving backward when Bradley threw a punch, so he would not feel the full impact of the punch. "So kita mo ngayon ang evolution ni Manny," he said.
“[Pacquiao] adjusted into that kind of style. Ganoon katalino ang Manny Pacquiao," he added.
Because of this, he said Pacquiao showed he is now a "smarter fighter," adding boxing "is a mind game."
"So I can say this is a big win for Manny, a great win for Manny. For the longest time, I think I saw the best Manny Pacquiao that is possible," he added.
Pacquiao vs. Mayweather?
Meanwhile, Tapdasan said the chances of a match between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. may be getting dimmer as both fighters' camps have yet to negotiate a deal for a bout.
Until both camps can end the "complicated battle of negotiations," he said a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout may remain the subject of a "video game fantasy match."
"Sabi ko, Mayweather will never beat Manny Pacquiao and Manny Pacquiao will never beat Mayweather because they will never fight. It will remain a fantasy game which we can only do in a video game fantasy match," he said. - Joel Locsin / AMD, GMA News
source gmanetwork.com
