The World Boxing Organization (WBO) has confirmed it will review the scoring of the Manny Pacquiao-Jeff Horn welterweight title bout, after the Philippine boxer’s shock defeat.
This was announced on the WBO’s website, after Pacquiao, backed by the Philippine government’s sports regulatory body, criticised the referee and the judges and demanded a review.
The Filipino regulator, the Games and Amusements Board, has also called for potential sanctions on the referee and judges of the July 2 Brisbane bout if warranted.
“The purpose of this review is to be able to give the fans certainty of who was the winner of the bout,” WBO president, Francisco Valcarcel, wrote to the Filipino regulator on Wednesday.
The boxing body is to appoint five “anonymous competent judges from different countries to watch the bout without sound distraction”, then tabulate their round-by-round scoring.
However Valcarcel stressed the WBO did not have the power to reverse the decision of the judges.
“The decision of an official should only be revoked when fraud or violations of the law occur. I assure you that the officials who participated in this fight are all professional, distinguished, honest and honourable human beings,” he added.
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