Saturday night was a busy one for sports fans, as it featured a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals and a pay-per-view boxing bout between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley Jr. Luckily for sports fans, the fighters agreed to delay the main event until the end of the basketball game to ensure sports fans could get their proper fix.
Boxing shoots itself in the foot once again
Speaking of fixes, the fix was definitely in Las Vegas as Pacquiao dominated Bradley over 12 rounds only to fall victim to the age-old boxing corruption. Pacquiao out-landed his opponent by nearly 100 power punches and total punches. He out-landed him percentage-wise 34% to 19%. He also visibly hurt Bradley on three or four occasions. But somehow, the boxing thought Bradley did enough to win a split decision.
Besides the absurdity of the scoring, the fact that it happened to one of the few superstars of the sport, on a $70 PPV, makes it less likely that casual boxing fans will bother to tune in for future fights. Many boxing scribes didn’t give Bradley more than two or three rounds in the fight. This wasn’t the case of a disputed decision, it was a disgusting one.
If this was a case of Arum wanting to cash in on a rematch, it’s probably all for naught. Many (remaining) fight fans will likely pass up on the bout, especially if it’s on PPV. It wasn’t close enough to warrant a rematch and the fact that Bradley was named the winner, shows either major corruption or incompetence in boxing. And when fans are asked to drop $70 a pop, it’s just not worthwhile to watch.
Look out for Thursday’s article for an in-depth breakdown.
LeBron has finally found his heart
Looks like LeBron James have finally stumbled upon his heart. The superstar Miami Heat forward who has been much maligned for his lackadaisical fourth-quarter play, is finally playing like a man who wants to win and better yet – refuses to lose.
Down 2-3 to the Celtics after five games, James willed his team to the NBA Finals by dropping 45 points and 15 rebounds in a Game 6 blowout and 31 and 12 to close out the boys from Boston in Game 7. Thoughout the series, James has been less reluctant to take big shots in the fourth-quarter. He’s not always taken the best shot, and there’s still room for him to assert his dominance late, but the fact that he’s finally beginning to want to control his team’s destiny is a good sign for Heat fans.
The Heat – Thunder battle could prove to be epic, especially with Chris Bosh back into the lineup. There’s no doubt Durant is comfortable putting his team on his back down the stretch. If James keeps developing a closer mindset, the series should be a blast to watch.
