Assessing Pacman’s Chances in Timothy Bradley versus Manny Pacquiao II in 2014
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
Focus is the key if Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao wants to defeat Timothy ‘Desert Storm’ Bradley in a rematch and get a superior win on the comeback trail in 2014. Pacman’s recent lopsided 12 round decision win over 31-1-1 Brandon Rios looked like an ugly sparring session, with Rios getting beaten on by Pacman for most of the night. If Manny wants to be the next Vitali Klitschko and run for higher political office, he can make his retirement final and run for Senate or the Presidency in the Philippines.
Boxing has politics, but politics without boxing is a very different apple.
When Manny Pacquiao lost a 12 round split decision to Timothy Bradley most experts though he had won last year, then got knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in the sixth round, Pacquiao appeared to be done. Bradley decisioned Marquez, while Pacquiao decisioned Rios. Styles make fights. It was inevitable Pacman would seek a rematch with Bradley, then a rematch with Marquez. You never know if Floyd Mayweather Jr. will go after Pacman after his next bout against Amir Khan or whoever. The public wanted the Floyd versus Pacman feast. Squabbles over money and steroids testing turned the potential bout to yeast.
The public has not lost interest in Pacman, however it is not as interested in Pacquiao’s career as it was a couple of years ago for one simple reason: the public wanted the Pacman versus Floyd megafight, but Pacquiao could not be satisfied. Pacman would never get the same money as Floyd then or now, and having lost twice since the idea was put on the table, one would think Pacman versus Floyd would come a lot cheaper.
Materialism aside, Pacman has to make some serious style changes. He has to outwork and outbox Bradley from the onset, and making significant headway on the inside. Bradley’s movement will be better, and his defense considerably tighter in a second go round with Pacman. The key to a Pacman win over Bradley is to keep the pressure on, keep the volume of punches up, and not allow Bradley to settle into a tempo and fight his fight. Marcos Rene Maidana accomplished this with Adrien Broner. Bradley is also not a power hitter. Nobody has been able to test Bradley’s chin early though he has been down late and showed his heart getting up near the end of the bout in his win over Ruslan Provodnikov.
Pacman needs to build an early lead against Bradley, and then not let up. Pacman will need to back Bradley up, and throw consist jab combinations to head and body to keep Bradley on the defensive and out of his game plan. Pacman cannot hope to score a one punch knockout over Bradley. That strategy failed against Marquez. A superb technical fight favors Pacquiao, but the victory must be convincing. A close fight probably favors Bradley, the World Boxing Association World Welterweight champion, by decision at this point.
Going the 12 round distance with Bradley again might not work, unless Pacman knocks Bradley down a few times to secure the win on the cards. If Bradley is not taken down, he will go to work on Pacquiao and put rounds in the bank on the cards. Pacman’s technical skills may have beaten an overhyped ‘B’ level opponent like Rios. Bradley can fight Pacquiao evenly. Therefore it is up to trainer Freddie Roach to come up with a flexible game plan to defeat Bradley better than before.
Pacquiao is now 35 years old to Timothy Bradley’s 30 years old. Pacquiao, who while popular is not Bernard Hopkins in terms of longevity potential, is on the border between winning a few more big fights and then fading away. If Pacman is to defeat Timothy Bradley is Spring 2014, he will have to fight a strategic scientific fight and take Timothy Bradley out of his comfort zones by confusing him and not letting him get set. The biggest key has to do with maneuverability.
If Pacman can maneuver Bradley where he wants him in the ring, Bradley will be in big trouble. If Bradley trains for the same type and style of fight, Bradley will be in trouble If Pacquiao goes a different road. Like Maidana, Pacquiao has to take his game up one notch to outclass Bradley, and demonstrate the true potential everyone still believes Pacman has. A foot war might result between Bradley and Pacquiao if both men fight for position before the punches are thrown. Timothy Bradley will be the most difficult opponent Pacquiao has fought to date, because Bradley is a steadily improving fighter, and will fight Pacquiao to the death to win the rematch and keep his chances for a Floyd Mayweather Jr. bout alive.
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