Nakarating na sa kaalaman ng dating Australian professional boxer na si Nedal Hussein ang naging rebelasyon ni retired boxing referee Carlos Padilla sa naging “pandaraya” nito noon sa laban nila ni Manny Pacquiao.
Sa isinagawang panayam sa kaniya, inamin ni Padilla na tinulungan niya si Pacquiao upang matalo ang kalaban nitong si Hussein sa laban nila noon sa Antipolo City taong 2000 upang makarating ang Pinoy boxer sa World Boxing Championship.
Aniya, nanaig daw ang pagka-Pilipino niya nang mga sandaling iyon. Inilarawan din niya si Hussein bilang “dirty fighter”.
“So, you know the opponent, Hussein, or whatever his name was. He is taller, younger, stronger and a dirty fighter, managed by Jeff Fenech. So in the (4th round), Manny got knocked down, I thought he was going to get up, but his eyes were cross-eyed.”
“I am Filipino, and everybody watching the fight is Filipino, so I prolonged the count. I know how to do it,” buking ni Padilla.
“When he got up, I told him, ‘Hey, are you okay?’ Still prolonging the fight. ‘Are you okay?’ ‘Okay, fight.’”
Nang mga panahon na iyon ay hindi pa sikat at kinikilala si Manny bilang Pambansang Kamao.
“Because Manny was not like Manny is now, he wasn’t trained by Freddie Roach yet, he holds on for his dear life, and (Hussein) throws him, and he went down again. I said to the opponent, ‘Hey, you don’t do this.’ You know, I was prolonging the fight. ‘You don’t do that. Okay, judges, (point) deduction,’”
Nanalo si PacMan sa laban na iyon sa pamamagitan ng TKO o “Technical Knock Out”. Sa pagkakataong ito ay may inamin ulit si Padilla.
“Because he is shorter he headbutted the other guy and there is a cut, but I declared it a punch. If there is a headbutt you have to stop the fight and declare to the judges a point deduction, but I didn’t do that, meaning the fight could continue. (The cut) is not really big—but I never got the doctor to check it (because) I want to see it seriously.”
Ayon sa ulat, nakarating ito sa kaalaman ni Hussein at tinawag na isang “kriminal” si Padilla.
Nais pa aniyang ipatanggal si Padilla sa Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame.
“Carlos Padilla is nothing more than a criminal. That’s what he is. He did a criminal act. He violated and manipulated the rules. He should be accountable for what he did. Take him out of the Hall of Fame,” pahayag umano ng Australian fighter sa “Sports Desk” ng CNN Philippines.
Sa kabilang banda, wala umanong kasalanan si Pacquiao dahil pareho umano silang biktima.
“The WBC should be held accountable for the fix they put on that night. I have nothing against Manny Pacquiao. I’m a big fan of Manny. I think he’s done amazing for the sport,” ani Hussein.
Dagdag pa, “I’m not claiming that I’m the winner, that I want the decision to be reversed. Manny is a victim in this as well. All I want is for the referees and judges to be held accountable for what they do.”
Wala pang tugon, reaksiyon, o pahayag si Padilla, si Pacquiao, o ang WBC tungkol dito.
