Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley: Smart Strategies for Each Fighter

Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley will step into the ring in less than a month. The two welterweights are set to do battle at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas on June 9 and it should be nothing short of epic.

Let’s take a look at the two fighters and what each must do to have the best chance of emerging victorious as the WBO welterweight titleholder.

 

Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KO)

Get Focused

After a narrow victory over Juan Manuel Marquez last November, Manny has gone through some tough personal times. Promoter Bob Arum has publicly professed his concern about the mental state of his fighter.

During an episode of The Fight Game with Jim Lampley, Arum reportedly said (h/t Boxing Scene):

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"Bradley is a terrific fighter," Arum continued. "He's undefeated. He poses a tremendous challenge for Manny Pacquiao. And my problem is what Pacquiao are we going to see? You have to understand, since the last fight last November, he has become a totally different person. He's super religious. He does bible study every night. Sometimes I get the impression that I'm promoting Rick Santorum, and not Manny Pacquiao. But be that as it may, who knows what effect it will have on his ring ability on June 9th?"

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Pac-Man cannot afford to show up sluggish, unmotivated and have his mind elsewhere. The young and hungry Bradley will destroy Pacquiao if he isn’t 100 percent committed.

Use Quickness

Bradley has the longer reach and is taller than Pac-Man. The Filipino stands in at 5’5” with a 67” reach. He’s likely to weigh in at 145 pounds come fight night.

The American has a slight tape advantage, standing at 5’6” with a 69” reach. He’s likely to come in anywhere from the 145-147 range for this brawl. There is no catchweight to reach.

Pac-Man will have to use his quickness, both with his unorthodox style of lighting-quick jabs and in his movement, to prevail.  

Timothy Bradley (28-0-0, 12 KO)

Cut Opponent

Pacquiao is not used to getting roughed up by his adversary and Bradley has to make sure he gets a few good, clean shots in at his face to draw blood.

Since Bradley leads with his noggin quite often, it could pay off if he “accidentally” hits Pac with a headbutt and gets a clean cut. Erik Morales did the same in his first fight with Manny and it seemed to slow the man down.

If Bradley can get an early wound on his opponent, a lot more things will open up eventually during the course of the fight.

Avoid KO Punch

Bradley has not faced anyone as strong as Pac-Man in his career. He needs to make sure he’s not on the receiving end of a full-force KO blow.

While Bradley is a tough pugilist, no one—not even himself—can be sure how he will be able to take shot to the face from a man who has knocked plenty of tough guys out with his punches.

It’s best to avoid it all together and keep the guard up.