A daughter of former top-notch boxing referee Carlos Padilla has made a plea “to the boxing community of the world” for understanding and to spare from ugly controversy “an 88-year-old man, who is just that—old and aging.”
In a letter received by the World Boxing Council from Padilla’s eldest of six children, Suzy Padilla Tuano, she said that her father might have been taken out of context and was misinterpreted.”
Padilla, who refereed fights for the likes of Muhammad Ali, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns, recently hogged the spotlight for the wrong reasons.
He supposedly admitted that he “assisted” Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao in his WBC international super bantamweight title bout with Australian Nedal Hussein at the Ynares Center in Antipolo back in 2000.
Padilla said he prolonged the customary eight-round count to give Pacquiao more time to recover. The retired referee’s admission, which was posted on Youtube, drew mixed reactions from boxing fans.
The Hall of Fame referee, who shot up to prominence when he officiated the “Thrilla in Manila” heavyweight fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier at the Araneta Coliseum in 1975, also admitted ruling a head-butt as a legitimate punch that caused Hussein’s cut in the head.
“Communications can be misconstrued, and well-intentioned words can be misinterpreted. The present situation is one such glaring example of what might have actually been saying and what may have been taken out of context,” said Suzy.
“My father is a decent and honorable man. He dedicated his life to boxing and boxers and cared for them their well-being, regardless of nationality and circumstance. He has been retired and has been out of the spotlight for as long as I can remember. But he loves to talk and entertain because, like any other human, he still yearns to be relevant,” Suzy wrote.
She also vouched for his father’s credibility and asked everyone to ask his former “peers, promoters, fighters, referees and anyone from his era and learn about my father’s true character.”
“He has proven his worth and we, his family, would appreciate if people respect his contributions to the boxing community he so loved by giving him some well-deserved consideration,” she continued.
WBC Mauricio Sulaiman said a panel will be created to review the “situation” about Padilla.
“I, as president of the WBC, as well as a human being who has known Mr. Padilla since I was 10 years old, can certainly empathize with Suzy and the contents of her letter to the boxing Community.”
Meanwhile, in an interview with CNN Philippines, the now 45-year-old Hussein said he wants Padilla to be stripped of his Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame title for his “criminal act.”
In an earlier, interview Pacquiao said he could not remember getting special treatment from Padilla, even as the video replay showed that he stood up at the count of seven and appeared to be in his element at the count of eight.