LAS VEGAS – Let the rumors begin.
Manny Pacquiao’s career after 40 moved from the scorecards to speculation about a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The guessing game was well underway at the very moment Pacquiao’s unanimous decision over Adrien Broner was announced Saturday night to a crowd of 13,025 at the MGM’s Grand Garden Arena and pay-per-view audience for the Showtime telecast.
Truth is, talk about the rematch began to buzz in the later rounds of the bout for Pacquiao’s WBA title. By the 10th Broner was already About Back-pedaling. After sustaining a huge left midway through the ninth, Broner maintained a safe distance, moving away from a pursuing Pacquiao and moving right into a defeat on the cards – 116-112, 117-111, 116-112 all for Pacquiao. According to punch stats, he landed only one punch in the 12th.
Meanwhile, the crowd cheered for Pacquiao (61-7-2, 39 KOs). The “Manny, Manny” chants left echoes of a bygone era, days when he was a young man instead of middle-aged Filipino Senator. But the politician can still punch with power and energy that Broner (33-4-1, 24 KOs) couldn’t match. At pivotal moments, it looked as if he didn’t even try to.
At ringside, Mayweather watched. After it was over, he became an audience of one for what Pacquiao hopes to do.
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“Tell him to come back to the ring and we will fight,’’ he said as looked toward the seat where Mayweather had been sitting. I’m willing to fight Floyd Mayweather again, if he’s willing to come back to boxing.’’
If, if, if. There will be a lot of those for the next several months.
“The Manny Pacquiao journey continues,’’ said Pacquiao, who collected a $10-million guarantee that could grow to as much as $20 million.
And the Mayweather journey could be resuming. More, too much more, on that later.
The more immediate question was Broner. He behaved as though he had won before the one-sided scores were announced. He stood on the ropes near a ring post and held his hands over his head in triumph. The crowd booed. The fans knew better. The judges knew better.
“I beat him and everybody out there knows I beat him,’’ said Broner, who collected a $2.5 million guarantee that could double once the pay-per-view receipts are counted. “They’re trying to make their money again with Pacquiao and Floyd again. That’s OK.’’
It was bloody. It was unpredictable. There was a head-butt, a power blowout and, in the end, Marcus Browne.
Oubaali beats Warren for WBC title
Add a world title to a Nordine Oubaali family that includes 17 brother and sisters. Oubaali put the WBC’s bantamweight belt into the family wardrobe with a consistent right hand and tireless pursuit for unanimous decision over an old Olympic rival, Rau’shee Warren, in the second bout on the Showtime pay-per-view telecast of a card featuring Manny Pacquiao-Adrien Broner.
Hugo Ruiz wins one-sided decision over a late substitute
He was a sub. A survivor, too. But Mexican featherweight Albert Guevara was not a winner, at least not against Hugo Ruiz (38-4, 31 KOs), who dropped him in the first round and dominated throughout the next nine for a unanimous decision in Showtime’s first pay-per-view bout on a card featuring Manny Pacquiao-Adrien Broner.
Dallas welterweight Jonathan Steele upsets Jayar Inson
Dallas welterweight Jonathan Steele (9-2-1, 6 KOs) scored one knockdown and repeatedly rocked Filipino Jayar Inson (18-2, 12 KOs), scoring a split decision in what was an upset in the final bout before the first of four fights on a Showtime pay-per-view telecast of the Manny Pacquiao-Adrien Broner card.
Pacquiao sparring partner wins unanimous decision
For weeks, Australian lightweight George Kambosos Jr. worked to get Manny Pacquiao ready in sparring. For eight rounds Saturday, Kambosos began what Pacquiao has promised to finish in the card’s finale against Adrien Broner. Kambosos (16-0, 9 KOs), Pacquiao’s sparring partner since 2017, controlled the ring while landing solid shots, backing up Filipino Rey Perez (24-11, 8 KOs) throughout a lightweight bout that ended with Kambosos winning a unanimous decision.
Cincinnati super-featherweight Desmond Jarmon, an Adrien Broner-promoted fighter, wore the AB logo and did what his boss has vowed to do in the main event against Manny Pacquiao. Jarmon (8-0, 4 KOs) won, surviving a rocky sixth round for a majority decision over Canton Miller (3-2-1, 1 KO) of St. Louis.
Chicago welterweight Destyne Butler (5-0, 3 KOs) mixed speed and aggressiveness, turning them into a dynamic combo for which David Payne (3-2-1, 1 KO) of Los Angeles had no counter over four one-sided rounds that ended in Butler winning a unanimous decision.