Pacquiao: You will see a young Manny Pacquiao on April 12th

By Boxing News - 02/04/2014 - Comments

pac66By Chris Williams: At today’s press conference with Manny Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KO’s) and WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley (31-0, 12 KO’s), Pacquiao talked about coming into their April 12th rematch a younger fighter than he’s shown in his last handful of fights. Pacquiao plans on finding the fountain of youth by the time he faces Bradley in April, and he expects to look like a brand new Pacquiao.

“You will see a young Manny Pacquiao on April 12th. Both of us have something to prove.”

If you recall, Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach had the same ‘Lets find the fountain of youth’ them for Pacquiao before his last fight against Juan Manuel Marquez in December 2012, and things didn’t go too well for the Filipino star in that fight.

Pacquiao tried fight energetically like he had in his youth, and he ended up running straight into a right hand from Marquez and was knocked out in the 6th round. One would have hoped that Pacquiao learned his lesson from that fight, because you can’t take the aging process backwards. Pacquiao isn’t Benjamin Button. He’s never going to see 25 again, and that’s why it’s kind of sad to see Pacquiao talking about coming out and being the young fighter he once was 4,000 yesterdays ago. That Pacquiao won’t be back no matter how hard his trainer Freddie Roach drives him during training camp.

With Pacquiao talking about going back to the youth movement, I’m starting to get the impression that Bradley could wind up beating him again. If Pacquiao is going to fight in the same reckless manner that he did in his fight with Marquez last time out then you would have to give Bradley a very good chance of pulling a repeat 12 round decision over Pacquiao. The only way that Pacquiao can fight effectively now is for him to land 1 or 2 shots, and get away quickly so that he doesn’t take shots in return.

Pacquiao also can’t rush forward like he used to do because he’s not quick enough now to get away with that kid of fighting style. The wheels are getting old with Pacquiao, and he needs to take things at a slower pace than he once did. If he rushes Bradley on April 12th, then we could see Pacquiao getting knocked out cold again. That would a tragedy to see Pacquiao planked again. It might be the end of Bob Arum’s gravy train if he gets stopped another time.



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