Manny Pacquiao has had a legendary boxing career, and he may have received more assistance than he could have asked for when he faced Nedal Hussein in 2000.
Pacquiao won the fight by technical knockout after Hussein was declared unfit to continue in the tenth round. When Pacquiao was knocked down in the fourth round, referee Carlos Padilla admitted in a recent interview that he gave the Filipino boxer extra time to get up.
“I was about to go and leave the next day for that fight, and they told me, ‘Carlos, please… this is an important fight for Manny Pacquiao because the winner will have the chance to fight for the world championship,'” Padilla said in an interview on the World Boxing Council YouTube channel.
“So you’ve met your opponent, Hussein, or whatever his name was. He is taller, younger, stronger, and a dirty fighter under Jeff Fenech’s management.
Manny was knocked down in the seventh round, I believe, and I thought he was going to get up, but his eyes were crossed (laughs). Because I am Filipino and everyone watching the fight is Filipino, I extended the count. I understand how to do it.”
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Pacquiao was given 18 seconds to get back up after being knocked down, according to Bloody Elbow.
Padilla claimed Hussein’s cut, which cost him the fight, was caused by Pacquiao’s headbutt. Padilla claimed the cut was caused by a punch during the fight.
“Because he (Pacquiao) is shorter, he headbutted the other guy, and there is a cut,” Padilla explained. “If there is a headbutt, you have to stop the fight and declare a point deduction to the judges, but I didn’t do that, so the fight could continue.”
On Instagram, Hussein responded to the video by calling Padilla a “putrid dog.”
Hussein would fight for the WBC World Super Bantamweight title in 2004 but would lose by a unanimous decision. He eventually finished his career 43-5 with 27 knockouts.
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Padilla’s interview took place in October, but his remarks about Pacquiao went viral this week.
Padilla also officiated the infamous “Thrilla in Manila” fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
