By Manuel Perez: It’s not looking good for Manny Pacquiao and Freddie Roach as far as them getting World Boxing Organization light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (25-0, 11 KO’s) as a sparring partner to help Manny prepare for his March 13th bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr. In an article with Steve Kim of Max boxing, Bradley said I”ll talk it over with my team. Personally, if Manny decides to retire or something, of course, but I don’t really want to give Manny [or Roach] a look at me if I’m going to end up fighting him one day. I don’t really want to five him a look. Ricky Hatton tried to get me over to his camp one time, and it just didn’t happen because I’m not sparring partner for anybody. I’m a world champion, I’m not a sparring partner.” Ouch! I don’t blame Bradley for not wanting to be a sparring partner for Pacquiao.
Why should Bradley stoop to that level when he’s a champion himself? I think Bradley would have a good chance of beating Pacquiao. I doubt he will fight him though, and Bradley probably has nothing to fear about Manny trying to get some kind of knowledge about him from his sparring sessions. It will take too long for Bradley to be a huge star and by then, Pacquiao will be long gone into his retirement and whatever he plans on doing. If Roach and Pacquiao want to get a sparring partner, why don’t they grab Shawn Porter or Jose Luis Castillo again. I imagine those two fighters would be willing to do the heavy chores in that regard. But to ask Bradley, a champion, to come and be a sparring partner, that’s a bit much.
Another reason why it’s not a good idea for Bradley to be a sparring partner is because Roach also trains World Boxing Association light welterweight champion Amir Khan. Roach would be able to use knowledge from Bradley’s sparring sessions with Pacquiao to try and give Khan and extra edge in a fight with Bradley. At some point in the future, Khan will probably be facing Bradley and if Roach has some inside information from the sparring sessions, Khan will have a better chance at beating Bradley.
Bradley can’t be bought by Pacquiao and his team. If Pacquiao wants to get anything from him, he’s going to have to come down to the 140 and fight him. Bradley says “He [Pacquiao] has a goal in mind, him and his trainer [Roach], but if he wants to come get some at 40 [140], I’m going to to be right there. I’m not going to give him a look at me.”
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