Bradley swings at Pacquiao
Redemption for Manny Pacquia? Redemption for Timothy Bradley as well?
There has been so much talk and speculation about the outcome of the Pacquiao versus Bradley championship fight scheduled for Saturday, April 12, 2014 at the M.G.M. Grand Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, that you really don’t know what to believe or really who to pick as a winner.
These 2 warriors are in a sense “shop worn”, from recent fights; Pacquiao-was knocked unconscious, and Bradley absorbed a horrific beating even though he “won” the fight.
Let’s analyze these 2 aspects of their health and full recovery for the upcoming rematch.
Timothy “Dessert Storm” Bradley by his own admission stated that he was hurt when he fought Ruslan “Siberian Rocky” Provodnikov, and that for weeks-months after, he sustained migraine headaches, slurred his words, was dizzy. After going to the Doctor, and after tests, he is now fully recovered, and ready to prove to the world that his first questionable decision over Pacqiuao was the correct one and not a wrong, or corrupted by the 2 Judges, C.J. Ross and Duane Ford, 115-113, voting in his favor. It led to a split decision victory.
Additionally, in all of the press conferences, when the second fight, was signed, Bradley said he has noticed that Pacquiao had gotten “soft”, that he did not have the “killer instinct” anymore, and had not knocked out or brutalized an opponent lately.
“Manny Pacquiao used to come out and from the first bell he would pound you. Look at what he did to Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Antonio Margarito, and even, Oscar De La Hoya,” he said. “Manny feels sorry for his opponents, prays too much; but [not] prayers, nor God, is going to help him in that ring.”
Bradley also told Pacquiao: “If, you don’t knock me out Manny, I’ll beat you”. A threat, or a poker bluff?
Bradley has repeated those comments many times on H.B.O.’s 24/7, and the Face-Off program hosted by Max Kellerman.
What emerged in my mind is the suspicion that Bradley is trying to “bluff” Pacquiao, in trying to get into his head to raise doubts that he could beat him. I feel that Bradley himself is still “hurting” from the Ruslan fight, has not fully recovered, and that is why he has gone the psychological route, and please remember folks, that talk is cheap.
I am also wondering if Pacqiuao has fully recovered from his k.o. loss to Marquez,
Both had to be ambulanced to hospitals as a precaution, in those fights.
Boxing injuries, as I wrote in one of my previous Black Star columns, have a lasting effect on fighters, and even if they “feel well” after a few weeks after a fight, they might still be trying to recover from the after effects as they go right back into the gym to prepare for another fight.
It is my opinion, that, that just one fight can prolong injuries-perhaps brain damage-to the fighter, which doesn’t heal properly because of the continuous pounding sparring in the gym in preparing for the next fight.
Most fighters actually go to training camps for 3 to 4 months and most times spar a total of 200 rounds. That’s a lot of punishment to one’s head and body for just one fight which may last just 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 rounds.
That is why listening to Bradley’s comments about Pacquiao leaves me with some doubts about his own condition or recovery.
On the other hand, Pacquiao’s reaction to Bradley’s comments makes me wonder whether he feels that Bradley has gotten to his boxing Achilles heel. Pacquiao, sometimes smiles and admits that yes, he has been soft on his opponents, but on “April 12, I will not be”.
There have been times during these interviews that he has just remained very quiet with a quizzical look on his face. Maybe he is playing his own, “chameleon game”, or playing possum.
Freddy Roach, Pacquiao’s, long-time trainer said “we will use those Bradley comments as incentives as we prepare to destroy him, and shut his mouth”.
So who’s still hurting and who’s bluffing whom? Your guess is as good as mine. In my opinion this fight has become a “pick-em” fight because you really don’t know which Bradley or Pacquiao is going to show up that night even though they are both class A fighters. One is a current 2 time 2 division champ and undefeated; the other is a former 8 time world champ in 10 weight divisions, and future boxing Hall of Famer.
I noticed that Bradley and Pacquiao in their last respective fights –Bradley vs. Marquez and Pacquiao vs. Rios — fought very cautiously, and seldom engaged in hard punch exchanges throughout their fights. They did enough to win.
So now in this W.B.O. Welterweight Championship 12 round fight who is going to lead off, from the first bell? W.B.O. 147 Pound Champ Timothy Bradley ( 31-0, 12 knockouts), or the challenger, Manny Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38, k.o.’s)? Will it turn into
a phone-booth center of the ring war?
Will this be a super cautious survival waltz of bluffing, still injured boxing has-beens?
My dear Black Star News readers and boxing fans we will know the answers to those puzzling questions when we tune into H.B.O. or go to the M.G.M. Grand Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday, April 12, 2014.
Stay tuned, because the following week, we will see Mr. Father Time, Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins, I.B.F. Light Heavyweight Champ challenging young and very dangerous W.B.A. 175 Pound champ, Beibut Shumanov in a Title unification fight on Saturday, April 19, 2014 at the D.C. Armory, Washington, D.C.
Then, Floyd “Money” Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana, on Saturday, May 3, 2014, at the M.G.M. Grand Arena, Las Vegas, and then on June 7, 2014, in Madison Square Garden, N.Y.C., Miguel Cotto will be challenging Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez, for his W.B.C. Crown.
Throughout the rest of the year -maybe the Boxing Promoters are listening to us-you will see some very interesting and exciting fights.
