Pacquiao vs Bradley Predictions: Projecting Outcome for Each Round

When Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao and Timothy "Desert Storm" Bradley meet in the ring on Saturday night there will be a lot of pressure on both stars. Pacquiao must prove that he is still elite after barely beating Juan Manuel Marquez, while Bradley must show that his undefeated record is no fluke.

With that in mind, Pacquiao and Bradley should both be desperate fighters during their welterweight bout from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Pacquiao has been tabbed as the clear favorite, but his struggles against Marquez are well-documented. It will be interesting to see if it was just a fluke or if Pac-Man may be in decline.

Here are complete round-by-round predictions for Saturday's fight between Pacquiao and Bradley complete with full analysis on how the bout is expected to play out.

Round 1

Based on Bradley's comments that he would know after the first round whether or not he would win the fight, Pacquiao figures to come out firing early. Pac-Man fell behind against Marquez and it almost cost him dearly, so he'll be sure not to make that same mistake as he wins Round 1 decisively.

10-9, Pacquiao

Round 2

After Pacquiao's offensive outburst to start, Bradley will need to answer in the second round. He may be a bit shell-shocked if Pac-Man catches him square in the first round, though. I believe Pacquiao will shake Desert Storm's confidence and keep his own momentum rolling by taking the first two rounds.

20-18, Pacquiao 

Round 3

At this point Bradley will be reeling, but Pacquiao won't be satisfied with a two-round lead. He has had far too many close calls in the past to take the foot off the accelerator now. Bradley will come out with more urgency, but Pac-Man's quick feet and lightning-fast hands will be up to the task.

30-27, Pacquiao

Round 4

The fourth round represents gut-check time for Bradley after losing the first three as he and his corner will realize that he needs to turn things around. Pacquiao will still be on the offensive, but he'll probably be a little more cautious after his great start and that will allow Desert Storm to get on the board.

39-37, Pacquiao

Round 5

Understanding that he lost the fourth round, Pacquiao will come out in the fifth with renewed vigor. He is still in good shape on the scorecards to be sure, but he doesn't want to allow Bradley to build confidence. With that said, Pac-Man answers Bradley's strong fourth by winning the fifth.

49-46, Pacquiao

Round 6

Although Bradley is certainly in some trouble at this point, he is finally settled into the fight and is over the initial blitz from Pacquiao. That will cause the roles to reverse to some degree in the sixth round as Bradley attempts to impose his will and it will result in a winning round for him.

58-56, Pacquiao

Round 7

Now that Bradley has closed the gap to some degree, he will look to pull closer to Pac-Man. After starting the fight with so much intensity, Pacquiao is likely to experience a lull in the middle of the bout. That will work into Bradley's favor and it will allow him to make things uncomfortable for Pacquiao.

67-66, Pacquiao

Round 8

With trainer Freddie Roach letting Pacquiao know in the corner that Bradley is making a comeback, the eighth round will be pivotal with regards to how things play out. Being the wily veteran that he is, Pacquiao will turn the tide in his favor once again by taking it to Desert Storm.

77-75, Pacquiao

Round 9

Both fighters can sense the fight nearing its conclusion, so the intensity figures to be taken up another notch. Bradley is the boxer who needs the ninth round more, but with Pacquiao's attack building to a crescendo, he will put Bradley on the ropes by winning the ninth round.

87-84, Pacquiao

Round 10

With only three rounds remaining in the fight and Bradley trailing by three rounds on the scorecard, he will have to utilize an all-out offensive attack for the rest of the tilt. The problem with that, however, is that Pacquiao's fast hands can quell any comeback. With Bradley pressing the issue and throwing caution to the wind, Pacquiao will catch Desert Storm with huge counter and put him down for the count.

Pacquiao wins by 10th-round knockout

Conclusions

I fully expect Bradley to hang around throughout the fight, but Pacquiao is unlikely to ever be in danger. Bradley is a pesky fighter, but his knockout power is lacking, so Pacquiao can afford to take some risks. Bradley will ultimately fall far enough behind that he'll have to deviate from his plan and that will play into Pac-Man's favor.

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