Carlos Padilla, the Filipino referee who oversaw the WBC international super-bantamweight championship bout between Manny Pacquiao and Nedal Hussein in October 2000, has admitted to cheating in order to help Pacquiao win the fight in his hometown.
Speaking on the World Boxing Council (WBC) YouTube channel, Padilla revealed that he “prolonged the count” after Pacquiao was knocked down in the fourth round of his fight against Hussein.
“That fight, I’m about to go and leave the following day, 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.