Pacquiao vs. Bradley – Why it’s must win for both fighters

By Boxing News - 04/08/2014 - Comments

bradley15By Simon Allen: At the MGM Grand, Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Timothy Bradley takes on Manny Pacquiao for the second time in what promises to be one of the biggest fights of 2014. After the controversy of the last fight and the paths both fighters have progressed down since, both fighters have much to win and a lot to lose.

Manny Pacquiao, 55/ 5/ 2 (38) comes to the fight fresh over a dominant win of an outclassed Brandon Rios and looking to avenge defeat to Bradley in their previous fight. Much of the appeal of the fight centres on the fact that nearly everyone who watched the first fight had Pacquiao winning comfortably. Indeed a WBO championship committee upon review had all five of the judges they used scoring the fight for Pacquiao however the result was not overturned. Manny indeed has much to be aggrieved by.

Throw in the jibes from Bradley and his camp about Pacquiao’s apparent loss of desire and loss of killer instinct and there seems good reason for Manny to prove a point. The word is the normally passive and respectful Manny is angry and out for revenge.

His trainer Freddie Roach has said Manny is up and ready for the fight, a fight they consider the most important since Pacquiao dismantled Oscar de la Hoya. Manny has trained well is ready for anything Bradley can bring and will fight from the opening bell to the end.

For Pacquiao a win will do much to reassure his fans and the boxing public he is still a force to be reckoned with and the knockout loss to Marquez has not affected him. It will also avenge a loss he will feel he didn’t deserve. To maintain his standing in boxing circles Manny needs to win and do so convincingly.

To lose would be a disaster; his critics will be out in force and make much of his fall from grace. The aura of invincibility will be damaged and opponents in the future will lose fear they once had. Retirement will probably be the next career move.

Timothy Bradley, 31/ 0/ 0 (12), has a massive point to prove. Bradley perhaps with less conviction than he lets on believes he won the first fight and hasn’t received the credit deserved. A win over Ruslan Provodnikov in a twelve round war did much to improve his appeal but also highlighted his flaws. A split decision victory over Pacquiao conqueror Juan Manuel Marquez has also been called into question by fans and critics, with some feeling Marquez won that fight too. Bradley, needless to say hasn’t exactly shone since the first fight either.

If Bradley wins and does so impressively then he will have gone a long way to bringing fans on board, as a great American fighter especially considering his personality is miles above that of Mayweather and Broner and a much better role model. It will also peak the attention of boxing aficionados and maybe achieve some of that credit Bradley feels he deserves.

If Bradley loses most fans will have little sympathy due to the controversial nature of the last fight. Indeed in many respect Bradley is defending his pride as a fighter and come Saturday night I feel he will fear losing that more than the belt, as Bradley craves real recognition more than anything else.

For my part I expect a fast frenetic pace to start with, Pacquiao taking the fight to Bradley. Bradley will box and move but will ultimately be outworked. I predict a close fight which I will be hard to score again. Pacquiao to win on points though and even push for a late stoppage.



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