Pacquiao vs. Bradley Recap

By Boxing News - 04/10/2016 - Comments

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By Joshua Broom: For 37-year-old icon Manny Pacquiao, if Saturday night truly was goodbye, it was a sweet sendoff indeed. Amid 14,000-plus adoring fans occupying the fabled MGM Grand, Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pacquiao (58-6-2 38 KO) simply outclassed game 5-time former World Champion “Desert Storm” Timothy Bradley (33-2-1 13 KO) en route to a 116-110 unanimous decision victory.

In a much anticipated rubber-match, the pace began cautiously between the tactful world-class warriors. The opening four-rounds were signified by an extended feeling-out process, however, just as Bradley seemed to uncork the evening’s first significant salvo in round eight, Pacquiao would respond with two decisive knockdowns in the final four frames.

In total, the campaigning Senatorial hopeful out-landed a noticeably polished Bradley 92-87. However, the pendulum that ultimately swung the fistic affair in “Pac-Man’s” favor was the level of aggression the Philippine legend showcased, combined with a bevy of well-timed peppering straight lefts.

With the win, Pacquiao returned triumphantly from a shoulder injury sustained against now retired, all-time great Floyd Mayweather Jr. That Pacquiao’s performance opposite a 32-year-old world-class pugilist in Bradley Jr. was so impressive, many will no doubt postulate whether this truly was Manny’s swan song.

After the final bell, it was revealed that Pacquiao’s long-time trainer, Freddie Roach is in favor of his charge battling Ring Middleweight kingpin Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and then bowing out in a rematch against Mayweather Jr.

Both scenarios seem unlikely, but in the sport of boxing one can never say never.



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