Manny Pacquiao: How Pac-Man Can Get the Victory over Timothy Bradley

Currently in his prime at 28-0, Timothy Bradley is arguably the best fighter Manny Pacquiao will ever box to this point.

Bradley is lightning quick, knows how to counterattack and is simply a better all-around fighter than given credit for. Then again, perfection says a lot when a boxer has an easy five years left.

To that end, Pac-Man has his hands full with Bradley and here's how Manny can fend off the challenger.

Patience

Bradley uses a constant force and barrage of attacking to wear his opponents down. Intimidation is at the core of Bradley's success because he's so skilled at setting up every punch.

With all his experience, however, Pacquiao has to remain patient and not get too overzealous early on. Manny is a better defender than Bradley and the longer the fight, the increased opportunities Pac-Man will see.

In the first few rounds, Pacquiao should definitely test Bradley's defense as exposing that early will create open shots later on. Provided that Manny remains consistent with landing body shots from the start, it will then force Bradley to slow down and redirect his focus toward efficiency.

Efficiency

Arguably Pacquiao's best area in the ring; the man has supreme accuracy at connecting his punches from anywhere.

Here, it's not so much about being an offensive juggernaut as it is making every punch count. This does tie into patience because of Bradley's speed and stamina, but Pacquiao's best odds are to narrow his own focus.

As the fight progresses into the middle rounds, if Pacquiao isn't throwing haymakers left and right, he'll be in better position. He'll have to take a few shots early on, but getting the most power and contact behind each well-timed punch will save him for the later rounds.

Closing Rounds

This is where Manny Pacquiao must kick his entire boxing repertoire into high gear. He has the footwork and ability to set up punches anywhere and speed combined with accuracy to connect.

Much like how we've seen I'll Have Another winning horse races down the stretch by finishing with an all-out effort, Pacquiao's approach must be similar. And pushing the pace at this stage of the fight won't be out of desperation.

Bradley undoubtedly has the ability to last a full fight, but if Pac-Man saves enough to perform an offensive onslaught during the final three or four rounds, Bradley's defense will get exploited. Jab-cross combos are obvious, but landing a hook into Bradley's southpaw stance sets up for a flawless uppercut.

We know Bradley will be aggressive early on, so Pacquiao's early defense and late-fight stamina will be key to opening things up late.

John Rozum on Twitter.