By Chris Williams: Timothy Bradley is getting some really good sparring out of former two-time IBF lightweight champion Julio Diaz in getting ready for his bout against WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao on June 9th, according to boxing news from the examiner.com.

Diaz is showing to be a good mimic of Pacquiao’s fighting style by giving Bradley a lot of angles and moving from side to side the way that Pacquiao likes to do when his legs aren’t giving him problems due to cramping up on him. However, Bradley’s trainer is looking to get some newer sparring partners to replace guys that aren’t competitive with Bradley in the sparring sessions.

It seems that Bradley is solving his sparring partners after only one to two rounds, and then just battering them without stop for the remaining rounds. Needless to say, Bradley isn’t getting anything out of those sparring sessions once he’s got them figured out and he needs a constant supply of new blood to keep him on his toes to give him some rounds. Bradley is so good that it might take a world class contender to give him some good rounds.

On the other front, Pacquiao has been sparring with light welterweight contender Ruslan Provodnikov in the Philippines and Pacquiao is said to be looking good in the sparring sessions. However, Provodnikov’s fighting style is nothing like Bradley, and he’s already been exposed at the pro level. It’s hard to see Pacquiao getting anything out of those sparring sessions other than a workout against a guy who fights nothing like Bradley. I guess this is the best that Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach could dig up for his fighter. Too bad, because Provodnikov may cause Pacquiao to develop a lot of bad habits that will hurt him on June 9th when he’s suddenly in the ring with a fighter a lot better than Provodnikov.

Bradley will likely solve Pacquiao after one or two rounds on June 9th, and then start to push him and wear him down like he’s done with his sparring partners. Pacquiao is an older fighter, and will likely run out of gas if Bradley puts a lot of pressure on him.