Manny Pacquiao: What Pac-Man Must Do to Beat Timothy Bradley

Manny Pacquiao is in the midst of a critical time in his illustrious boxing career, and if he doesn't employ certain strategies against Timothy "Desert Storm" Bradley, he's going to suffer his first loss in over seven years.

While unknown to the casual boxing fan, Bradley is no slouch, as he is undefeated in his 28 professional bouts, posting 12 knockouts in his professional career.

Pacquiao has to do a few things to beat the up and coming Bradley in their June 9 bout at the MGM Grand, and here are three of those things.

Avoid the Juan Manuel Marquez Feint and Bait Technique

Pacquiao got hammered against Marquez back in November, and it was all because of Marquez's feint and bait technique. By using the feint and bait technique, Marquez baited Pacquiao into swinging at him from a distance. This gave Marquez numerous opportunities to evaluate how and when Pacquiao was going to throw his punches for the rest of the match.

Marquez has been the only fighter to have Pacquiao's number in recent memory, and it would be naive to think that Bradley hasn't been studying up on the tape of that fight.

Not only did the technique allow Marquez to see how Pacquiao would attack, it caused Pac-Man to let his guard down as the fight progressed by leading him to believe that Marquez would continue to feint his punches. At the very instant that Pacquiao let his hands down, Marquez used effective aggression and combinations to catch the WBO Welterweight champion. Pacquiao also inexplicably didn't put his hands up at all on occasion, as he seemed confident that his opponent wouldn't throw a punch.

If Pacquiao doesn't realize his blunders against Marquez, Bradley is going to capitalize on his mistakes and score a huge advantage in the fight.

Watch the video below. When Pacquiao gets hit, it's because he's out of position, leaving him susceptible to a powerful counter punch. When he's catching Marquez, he has the right amount of distance between himself and his opponent.

Keep Close but Not Too Close

Bradley has a two-inch reach advantage on the champion, and while that may not seem like a huge edge, if Bradley plays it carefully, it could prove disaster for Pac-Man. Pacquiao didn't dominate Marquez because he wasn't close enough to him. He's at his best when he's using his lightning quick combos to stun his opponents from in close.

Bradley will be trying to keep a reasonable distance between the two, as he is trying to avoid head butting Pacquiao, for fear that the fight will be stopped because of injuries sustained from leaning with his head. That is why Pac-Man can't get too close in this bout, as the southpaw-orthodox matchup always increases the chances of a head-to-head collision.

"Desert Storm" doesn't have the knockout power of some of Pacquiao's past opponents, which is precisely why Pacquiao must keep the perfect distance. He shouldn't be afraid that he'll get caught with a right from Bradley, because even if he does, he should be able to eat it and push through.

Too close, and Pacquiao might catch a head butt. Too far away, and Pacquiao won't be able to capitalize on his superior punching power.

Avoid the Right Hand Counter Punch

Pacquiao got creamed on various occasions by Marquez's right-handed counter punching, as he allowed Marquez to perfectly time his movement and land big shots.

Bradley isn't as an effect counter puncher as Marquez, but he's good at countering with his right hand. This poses and problem for Pacquiao because as a southpaw, he has a harder time getting out of the way of a right straight.

Bradley has a tendency to turn his fights into brawls, and if he attacks only with his right hand, Pacquiao will have an easier time winning the match. The only way for Pacquiao to ensure that Bradley uses his right hand on the attack is to avoid his counter punches and frustrate the less experienced fighter.

Bradley's straight right hand alone isn't enough to knock down Pacquiao, but if he times Pacquiao's forward momentum perfectly, he'll be able to do some damage.

That is what Pacquiao must avoid in this fight, for if he doesn't, he's going to disappoint.