Pacquiao vs. Bradley Predictions: No Chance Fight Lives Up to Massive Hype

Whenever Manny Pacquiao steps into a boxing ring it is a big deal, regardless of who he is fighting. Unfortunately, this bout with Timothy Bradley has disappointment written all over it. 

Pacquiao vs. Bradley is not exactly the fight a lot of people had bookmarked on their calendars after Pacquiao defeated Juan Manuel Marquez, albeit controversially, last November. We were expecting a big-name opponent for arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. 

Instead, Bradley was dropped in front of Pacquiao thanks in large part to his connection with Top Rank Promotions and that company's desire to push Bradley as a big star worthy of challenging someone like Pacquiao. 

It doesn't help that Bradley is not an exciting fighter. Despite a perfect 28-0 record with one No Contest, Bradley's style is built more on outsmarting an opponent over 12 rounds to earn a decision victory than attacking and trying to knock someone out. 

Pacquiao can make fights exciting, but he has to have an opponent who is able to help him along. Even in lopsided fights, like against Shane Mosley or Antonio Margarito, those bouts were thrilling just because he was so dominating you wanted to see what he had in store each round. 

Another issue with the fight that will prevent it from being worth the price of admission is that Bradley just isn't someone that people want to see. He is a good fighter who has beaten a few medium-level names along the way, but nothing that makes you stop and look at him twice. 

At least previous Pacquiao opponents who were past their primes had that mainstream appeal that people wanted to watch. It may not mean much to see Shane Mosley in the ring now because he is a shell of his former self, but he still has the name recognition people look for. 

Bradley should have worked his way up to this fight instead of being handed this spot. With the Pacquiao hype machine behind it, fans will have this match shoved down their throat to the point they feel they have to watch it. 

Sadly, it is not going to live up to the hype that will be attached to it. When it is over, we will all be wondering how this fight ever got made. 

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