Burning Questions Surrounding Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley
Manny Pacquiao has been one of the great boxing attractions of this century. In his prime, any Pacquiao fight was a major event on the boxing calendar.
There is not the same enthusiasm surrounding his return to action on April 9 against Timothy Bradley. Even as the fight was announced last December, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum was telling Yahoo's Kevin Iole that the sales for this third fight were unlikely to match the first two bouts.
Nevertheless, Pacquiao does remain one of the sport's top stars. He and Timothy Bradley have history together.
So there's still plenty to talk about heading into this fight.
How Much Does Timothy Bradley Have Left?
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Timothy Bradley has been one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of his generation. But at this point, it's fair to wonder how much he has left.
Bradley is 32. That's a young man, but it can be an advanced age for a high-level prizefighter. And in Bradley's case, he's been through some wars and taken heavy damage.
In March 2013, Bradley won a very close decision over Ruslan Provodnikov but paid a heavy price in the process. He was nearly knocked out in both the first and second rounds and again in Round 12. It was the type of beating from which some fighters never fully recover.
Bradley looked good in a split-decision win over Juan Manuel Marquez, following the Provodnikov fight. But in his 2014 rematch with Pacquiao, he showed physical fatigue in the ring for the first time in his career.
Bradley had difficulty with the technically very limited Diego Chaves in December 2014, coming away with just a split-decision draw. Jessie Vargas hurt Bradley in the final round last June, but he hung on to win.
Bradley was dominant against Brandon Rios last November, stopping him in nine rounds. That's been pointed to by some as proof that Bradley is back on top and good as ever.
Maybe. But it's just as easy to see the result as proof that Rios is a shot fighter and wasn't properly prepared.
We won't know for sure just how much Bradley has left until we see him in the ring with Pacquiao on April 9.
How Much Does Manny Pacquiao Have Left?
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In his prime, Manny Pacquiao was perhaps the most explosive offensive fighter of this century. His straight left was thunder, and the lead right hook struck like a bolt of lightening.
But he hasn't been that fighter in a long time. Since getting knocked cold in his fourth fight with Juan Manuel Marquez in December 2012, Pacquiao has simply not looked the same.
He's still been clearly a notch above almost everybody else in the world. But he hasn't been the same wrecking machine.
In recent years, the fighter who made Oscar De La Hoya quit on his stool and knocked out Ricky Hatton in less than six minutes was unable to finish Brandon Rios and Chris Algieri.
Against Floyd Mayweather Jr. last May, Pacquiao didn't look much better than Andre Berto did last September. After the fight, he underwent shoulder surgery.
So while Pacquiao should once again be too quick for Bradley, there's no question that at 37, he's a shadow of his former self. It remains to be seen how much he'll have left come April 9.
Will Teddy Atlas Make a Difference for Timothy Bradley?
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Prior to his stoppage of Brandon Rios last November, Timothy Bradley looked very much like a fighter in decline. In his three previous fights, he'd gone 1-1-1.
Against Manny Pacquiao in April 2014, his famously superb physical conditioning abandoned him. While he deserved to win over Diego Chaves in December 2014, it was still a shock to see him fight on such even terms with a second-tier contender.
Even in his June 2015 victory over Jessie Vargas, Bradley was caught with a big punch and rocked badly in the final round.
Last September, Bradley parted ways with his longtime trainer, Joel Diaz, to work with Teddy Atlas. Atlas is a celebrated television analyst who has also trained multiple world champions. He's one of the most popular figures in the sport.
In their first fight together, Bradley recorded his first knockout in four years, stopping Rios in Round 9. Atlas' animated pep talks between rounds were among the most memorable moments of the fight.
So expect to hear a lot of promotional hype about how Bradley is a renewed fighter under Atlas' tutelage. I've already seen Atlas' "We are firemen!" speech more times than I can count during HBO promotional segments.
I'm always skeptical that a fully developed, high-level boxer in decline is suddenly going to become a new fighter simply because he switches trainers. Atlas is unquestionably a great boxing brain, but Diaz is a top trainer, as well.
Still, sometimes a new set of eyes can do a better job of finding the cracks in a well-worn set of armor. Sometimes it's simply a matter of a new relationship creating a sudden burst of energy and intensity.
So whether Atlas is going to be a difference maker in this fight is something we won't know until April 9.
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Is Manny Pacquiao Still a Beloved Figure?
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Manny Pacquiao became a pay-per-view superstar based mostly upon the excitement he created in the ring. But his personality and backstory were always part of his appeal. He had a humble demeanor and a million-dollar smile, and even people who never usually watch boxing were drawn into his orbit.
During the long years of speculation about a potential fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, the Filipino Congressman inevitably played the role of "good guy" in the popular press. While both fighters had solid bands of partisan supporters, there was never any doubt that the mainstream media had handed Pacquiao the white hat.
But that "good guy" image has been tarnished within the last year. Pacquiao's post-fight assertion to HBO's Max Kellerman that he thought he had won the fight made him appear a delusional poor sport.
It also cannot be debated that Pacquiao either hid a compromising injury from the paying public, in order to cash in on a record-setting payday, or else has greatly exaggerated the extent of that injury in the months since, in order to make excuses for his loss. Either action is ignoble.
Pacquiao's recent comments to Filipino television that gay couples are "worse than animals" has also damaged his nice-guy persona. Traditionally, Hollywood celebrities have flocked to his fights. It will be interesting to see if the stars still turn out for Pacquiao on April 9.
Will Fans Actually Pay for This Fight?
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Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley have fought twice, and the official scorecard between them reads one victory and one loss each. But few fans believe Bradley actually deserved to win his split decision over Pacquiao in June 2012.
Bradley did manage to slow the pace on Pacquiao and turn the fight awkward. In one sense, he accomplished something that was unique at that point in time: making a Pacquiao fight relatively unexciting.
Pacquiao won by unanimous decision in the April 2014 rematch. Bradley opted for a puzzling strategy of attempting to load up and score a big punch early. Instead, for the first time in his career, he appeared to gas out in the boxing ring.
The promotional material surrounding this fight will make a big deal out of the fact that Bradley and Pacquiao stand even, at one win each. But this is nothing like Pacquiao's celebrated rivalry with Juan Manuel Marquez, in which the first three fights were a thrilling draw, an epic split-decision win for Pacquiao and another, hotly contested, majority decision victory for Pacquiao.
To most observers, Pacquiao clearly deserved to win both of his fights with Bradley, and neither of them was very memorable. That makes a third bout between the two a tough sell.
Is This Really Manny Pacquiao's Last Fight?
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Last October, Manny Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, was already telling ESPN's Dan Rafael that this fight on April 9 would be Pacquiao's last. In January, Pacquiao told Sky Sports the same thing, although in this same article, Arum was now expressing doubts that it truly would be.
It won't be shocking if this does end up as Pacquiao's last fight. He's 37 and has been fighting as a professional for over 20 years. Beyond that, he already has a very successful political career underway in his native Philippines.
At the same time, it's natural to doubt any retirement statement in boxing. The history of the sport is full of major stars who hung up the gloves, only to come back time and again.
And it makes promotional sense to bill this one as Pacquiao's last rodeo. This fight needs every hype angle possible to maximize sales.
Even if he's no longer the star he was five years ago, Pacquiao still stands to make a small fortune each time he climbs into the ring. That's hard for anybody to walk away from.
I only hope he doesn't come back for yet another uninspiring money grab with Floyd Mayweather. If Pacquiao does fight again after facing Bradley, I hope it's against a rising lion like Terence Crawford.
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