Retired boxing referee Carlos Padilla has admitted to bending the sport’s rules to give his fellow Filipino Manny Pacquiao an advantage in a world title fight against Australia’s Nedal ‘Skinny’ Hussein in a bout to contest the WBC International super-bantamweight title in the Philippines in 2000.
Pacquiao, who was just 21 years old at the time, was considered by many to be among boxing's biggest prospects and had held the WBC title for ten months when he stepped into the ring with Hussein.
However, the future icon of the sport was knocked down in the fourth round – and Padilla has admitted to “prolonging” the standard ten-count in the fight to give his compatriot more time to recover.
Pacquiao, who was just 21 years old at the time, was considered by many to be among boxing's biggest prospects and had held the WBC title for ten months when he stepped into the ring with Hussein.
However, the future icon of the sport was knocked down in the fourth round – and Padilla has admitted to “prolonging” the standard ten-count in the fight to give his compatriot more time to recover.
