Referee Carlos Padilla has admitted he gave Manny Pacquiao 18 seconds to get up after being dropped in a hometown fight.
Before his days as a multiple-weight world champion, Pacquiao was an up-and-comer and was matched with Australian Nedal Hussein for a super-bantamweight title. And in the fourth round of their contest in the Philippines, Hussein put Pacquiao down with a big shot, forcing a ten-count from referee Padilla.
However, the Filipino referee allowed Pacquiao as long as 18 seconds to get up after being dazed, and let the contest continue despite Hussein's protests. And over two decades later, the referee has admitted that he gave a long count after being told that it was an important bout for Pacquiao to win, as well as making other moves that hindered Hussein's ability to win.
