What Pacquiao-Bradley 2 means to Mayweather

By Boxing News - 04/20/2014 - Comments

floyd93By Rasheed Catapang: In the height of his powers, Michael Jordan was a force of nature. In his hands, the defeat of opposing teams were a foregone conclusion – inevitable like death and tax. Prime MJ was the ultimate basketball player, absolutely devastating in both sides of the court. The same is true for the 2008-2009 version of Pacquiao which in the rematch with Bradley was nowhere to be found.

There were flashes of brilliance of course. Moments in the fight showing us glimpses of the punching dynamo Pacquiao no longer is. The buzz saw still churns but no more in a sustained mode.

Had the Pacquiao of old been inside that ring, Bradley would have fallen like timber. The Desert Storm should have fallen face down comatose by round seven. Fortunately for Bradley, as in their first fight, it’s the old Pacquiao across him.

The current Pacquiao is still fast enough to outgun Bradley. Although lacking the thudding fists the prime version used to annihilate better fighters like Hatton, Dela Hoya and Cotto. That Agent of chaos and destruction is a distant memory, replaced by this calculating and Maywetheresque lesser version. This Pacquiao is still good enough to beat elite fighters like Bradley but ill-equipped against the uncanny Mayweather.

Thankfully for Pacquiao, that fight is still not going to happen. Pacquiao, no matter how diminished now, remains the biggest threat to the risk-averse Mayweather. And Floyd can’t really be bothered. After all, he still will be the highest paid athlete of 2014 once he dispatches Maidana in May – a fight akin to the Ultimate Spurs taking on the helpless Milwaukee Bucks. The con remains at play.

All the better for Pacquiao who sees himself fighting for two more years. That would be MJ playing for the Wizards in basketball terms.



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