MANILA, Philippines - In a way it was Manny Pacquiao vs Timothy Bradley all over again.
Only this time, it was North Cotabato’s Edrin Dapudong who felt robbed of a victory against South African Gideon Buthelezi the other night at the Emperor’s Palace in Gauteng, South Africa.
A report by www.philboxing.com said the 26-year-old Dapudong was all over the South African who was knocked down in the ninth round after taking a left hook from the Filipino.
The knockdown, however, didn’t leave any good impression on the judges who declared Buthelezi winner by split decision and new IBO junior bantamweight champion.
Two of the judges, South African Tony Nyangiwe and American Michael Pernick, gave it to the hometown bet while British Reg Thompson had Dapudong as the winner.
If the judging was based on the looks on the fighters’ faces after the fight, then Dapudong would have won a unanimous decision.
The verdict was a reminder of Pacquiao’s controversial loss to Bradley last June in Las Vegas.
The report said Buthelezi’s face was a “bloody mess” and that as both camps awaited the decision, the handlers of the South Aftrican boxer were “gloomy.”
“How could your boy have lost that fight?” a member of the South African Super Sport TV crew was overheard asking, according to www.philboxing.com.
Dapudong took his fifth loss against 27 victories with 15 knockouts while Buthelezi walked away with a 13-3 record and a battered face.
