UPDATE 2: Pacquiao beats Broner to keep WBA welterweight crown
Credit to Author: JOSEF T. RAMOS, TMT| Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2019 06:39:15 +0000
EIGHT-division world champion Manny Pacquiao retained his World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight belt as he defeated American Adrien Broner via unanimous decision on Saturday night (Sunday in Manila) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The three judges, Dave Moretti, Glenn Feldman and Tim Cheatham, scored 117-111, 116-112, 116-112, respectively for Pacquiao as the Filipino boxer improved his win-loss-draw record to 61-7-2 with 39 knockouts. Broner dropped to 33-4-1 record with 24 knockouts.
Pacquiao, who turned 40 in December, proved that age was no obstacle as he easily won with an impressive display of superior hand speed and destructive power, almost knocking down Broner, 29, twice in the seventh and ninth rounds, responding to his counter-punches with power combinations and showing that he can still be a force in the highly-competitive division.
Pacquiao started the onslaught in the seventh round by hitting Broner with a left hook then immediately doubling it up.
Broner went into a shell mode, absorbing more blows but managed to hold on to the end of the round.
Pacquiao landed his best punch in the ninth with a blistering left on the chin that sent Broner backpeddling towards the ropes. But Broner showed he could take a punch as he stayed on his feet and survived another punishing round.
It was Pacquiao’s first successful title defense and return to the US after two years since beating Jessie Vargas also by unanimous decision for the World Boxing Organization welterweight belt on November 5, 2016.
It was also Pacquiao’s second straight win after beating Lucas Matthysse on July 15, 2018 in Malaysia via seventh round technical knockout for the WBA belt.
In his 70th fight as a professional, Pacquiao does not only retain the lesser version of the WBA’s two welterweight belts but possibly sets the stage for a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, who watched the bout from ringside.
Pacquiao is now hoping to avenge his 2015 loss to Mayweather, which became the richest one-day sporting event in history. AFP
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