By John F. McKenna (McJack): A couple of days before the official start of his training camp in Baguio City, World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KO’s) claims to have WBO light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (28-0, 12 KO’s) all figured out.
While working with Freddie Roach’s assistant trainer and long time Pacquiao friend Buboy Fernandez, Manny let it be known how he anticipates “Desert Storm” as Bradley is known to his fans, to react when he and Pacquiao are at close quarters. “Pacman” also indicated how he plans to neutralize Bradley’s attack.
Manny worked the mitts with Fernandez at the MP Tower Gym in Manila, prior to heading for Baguio City on April 16. In addition to his patented straight left, Manny exhibited the power in his right hook and left uppercut. The punches the Filipino icon landed made loud popping sounds as they were delivered with machine gun speed and power.
Pacquiao and Bradley will clash on June 9 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. It is Roach’s plan to spend an extra week for Manny’s current training session at his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.
Team Pacquiao expects Bradley to be wary of Manny’s dangerous straight left hence they are planning what will be some very unpleasant surprises for Timothy. Bradley because of his short stature is limited to varying his attack in an attempt to make it unpredictable.
The logic of boxing pundits is that because Pacquiao has a huge edge in power as well as an edge in speed, and has a rock hard chin, he will have a decided edge over Bradley, who has only 12 KO’s in his 28 victories. Many fighters who have taken on Manny in the ring are surprised when they are exposed to his power shots. In May of 2011 Shane Mosley had a look of disbelief when he was floored by Pacquiao in the 3rd round. It was at that point that Mosley began to retreat from Manny for the balance of the fight, choosing to survive rather than win. Shane went so far as to ask his trainer Nazim Richardson to stop the contest rather than risk being KO’d.
Many boxing fans understandably choose to g auge “Pacman” solely on his poor performance against Juan Manuel Marquez last November and are of the opinion that he has regressed as a fighter. It must be pointed out however that all great fighters from the past have had poor performances. Ken Norton was a very good, but not a great fighter. And he was handled very easily by George Foreman and even Gerry Cooney, who KO’d him in the first round. Norton fought Ali three times on even terms and he could never quite figure out his style. There were certain fighters too who gave the great Joe Louis fits even though they were nowhere near being in his class as a fighter. Arturo Godoy and “Jersey” Joe Wlacott come to mind. Billy Conn, a light heavyweight, gave Louis his toughest fight while he was in his prime taking “Bomber Joe” into the 13th round before Louis KO’d him to save his crown.
It is premature to write Pacquiao off just yet, although some gleefully report that he is on the downward side of his illustrious career.
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