Manny Pacquiao and Nedal Hussein could share the ring again after the pair went face-to-face to discuss a cheating storm.
Their original bout in 2000, sanctioned by the World Boxing Council, is now shrouded in controversy.
Referee Carlos Padilla admitted cheating to help his fellow Filipino avoid a fourth-round knockout. Padilla also called a Pacquiao headbutt a punch on purpose to stop the fight because of the gash.
Pacquiao was declared the winner when Hussein was subsequently pulled out.
Manny Pacquiao vs Nedal Hussien II
Hussein spoke exclusively to World Boxing News in the aftermath of the story breaking to say: “It’s not the fact that he said what he said. It’s more because we already knew it.
“But the way he said it with a smirk and a smile like he was proud of what he had done, like the depth of corruption, it’s obviously in his veins and his heart.
“So he had obviously done it before because it was nothing to him.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen, so we will see what plays out. But we knew from the get-go [that something wasn’t right].
“At the start of the fight, they gave Manny different gloves to what I had on. They put us in a hotel two hours away from the venue on the day of the fight.
“So we knew there was going to be foul play.”
Manny Pacquiao’s career
On Pacquiao, Hussein added: “I can’t say Pacquiao’s career would never have been the same, but it would have been derailed, that’s for sure.
“He was a champion before I fought him at flyweight, and then he couldn’t make weight, so he lost his belt. Then he went up in weight.”
The pair decided to meet on a podcast to discuss the events that took place as Padilla remained out of the public eye since the storm brewed.
Only Padilla’s daughter would release a family statement to WBN defending her father of wrongdoing and asking the media to lay off him because he’s now old.
Carlos Padilla at fault
Pacquiao and Hussein both agree that the blame lies solely on Padilla for his shocking actions and his complete disregard for the integrity of the sport.
“It’s Carlos Padilla’s fault. He is the one that’s to blame and his big mouth,” Hussein said before Pacquiao added: “If he did something wrong on his part during that fight, he should be quiet and shut up. But now, he’s revealed it to the people. That’s now his responsibility, not ours.
Hussein then brokered the idea of another fight. “Maybe we’ll do an exhibition one day. If there’s a challenge, I’d love to do it against Manny.”
WBN contacted “Skinny” to ask him if the exhibition clash could happen, and he told World Boxing News, “it could be” happening.
Facing DK Yoo in the coming days, Pacquiao will be free to fight in the late spring if Hussein is available to fight.
His problem
For now, the “Pac-Man” is defending his corner.
“I did not cheat. We were just probably favored because of the home advantage,” Manny Pacquiao told TV Patrol. “As a boxer, I just did what I needed to do.
“I’m a boxer. I only do my job inside the ring. That is his problem, not mine.”
