Timothy Bradley's trainer, Joel Diaz, is not pleased with the way promoter, Bob Arum, has treated his fighter in the aftermath of Bradley's controversial split decision win over Manny Pacquiao last month.
Speaking with Examiner.com's Chris Robinson, Diaz was clearly hurt and disappointed at the lack of support Arum has showed Bradley during this tough stretch of the fighter's career.
"I don't even want to talk about Bob Arum," Diaz told Robinson. "It's just sad that he signs a fighter, he promises him everything...and when [expletive] like this goes down, he turns his back on you."
At the root of Diaz's feelings of abandonment is the fact that Arum, feeling the heat generated by angry fans and media, immediately jumped on the outrage bandwagon and spoke out against the legitimacy of the decision, even calling for a full investigation. It was a move that many, including Diaz, saw as disingenuous.
"I don't know if he's playing mind games," Diaz said. "I don't know if he did that just to cover up, because, at the end of the day, he's a promoter and he's the one that pays the money. He's the one that signs the checks. He's the one that hires the officials."
Make no mistake about it, there will be a Pacquiao-Bradley rematch on November 10 and, despite the feigned outrage from Arum, there was never any other plan nor any real interest in getting the initial decision overturned.
Without proof, there could never be a real accusation that this was somehow part of a master plan to generate more interest for a Pacquiao product whose appeal may be waning a bit. But everything is sure falling together perfectly if the goal was to give the Pacquiao brand some re-energizing without the benefit of a marketable opponent on the other side of the ring.
In the wake of the controversial win, Bradley has received death threats, has been the object of scorn and derision all over the internet, and based on his trainer's comments, has even found himself in a bad place with his own promoter.
Unfortunately, whether there was any shady sleight of hand at play or not, Timothy Bradley is paying for it. Bradley is not the villain in this drama. He fought hard and, apparently, feels that he legitimately won the bout.
The blame for the disgusting decision last June 9th should fall squarely on judges Duane Ford and C.J. Ross and the horrible system that actually encourages these shady dealings in boxing.
*******************
Paul Magno was a licensed official in the state of Michoacan, Mexico and a close follower of the sport for more than thirty years. His work can also be found on Fox Sports and The Boxing Tribune. In the past, Paul has done work for Inside Fights, The Queensberry Rules and Eastside Boxing.
Source:
Chris Robinson, Diaz feels that Bob Arum has turned his back on Bradley following Pacquiao upset, Examiner.com
