Pacquiao vs. Bradley: How Bradley Will Shock the World

Timothy Bradley will need to display a dazzling combination of power, strategy and cagey defense in order to defeat Manny Pacquiao.

Bradley is disadvantaged in many important aspects. He does not have Pac-Man's experience, or his raw, violent power.

But Bradley is a capable fighter. He hasn't lost a bout in 28 career tries, and he has knocked out 12 of those opponents. He has defeated the likes of Devon Alexander, Joel Casamayor and Kendall Holt. He is the WBO light welterweight champion for a reason.

Pacquiao will be favored by most, but this fight will far from easy. The MGM Grand crowd will be treated to a competitive battle worthy of championship implications.

Let's take a look at how Bradley can go from underdog to champion in this WBO welterweight championship match.

Safe and Sound Stance

Bradley is not going to win this bout by going toe-to-toe with Pacquiao's overwhelming power. Instead, he must establish outside position and clinch whenever the opportunity is there on the inside.

Establishing outside footing will force Pacquiao out of his comfort zone. He loves to lead with his straight left hand and bring his devastating left hook shortly after. Bradley must keep him away and force him to work from a distance.

Even if Pacquiao is kept away most of the fight, he will find his way inside at some point. Bradley must do his best to clinch and scrap when it does happen.

If Pacquiao gets inside and gets a hand free, this fight could end in the middle rounds.

Keeping Pac-Man to the outside will let Bradley use his strengths to his advantage while neutralizing Pacquiao's biggest asset (his left hand).

Pick the Right Spots

Beating Pacquiao will take more than defense. At some point, Bradley is going to have to land a few punches of his own.

When Bradley does decide to go on the offensive, he needs to pick the perfect occasion. He must patient and attack Pacquiao when he least expects it.

Bradley's most recent title fight ended in TKO over Casamayor. He wore him down and eventually ended the match in the eighth round. That same scenario is highly unlikely against Pac-Man, but he can obviously punch to some degree.

Dancing around in subtle avoidance of Pacquiao's heavy fists will only get you so far. Bradley has prepared for this fight, and he knows Pacquiao's tendencies as well as his own.

He will know when Pacquiao is ripe for the picking.

Claiming victory tonight will require staunch defense and a sound offensive approach. If he can establish both of these things early, Bradley will spin the boxing world on its head.