Floyd Mayweather Sr. Comments on Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley 3 Fight
Floyd Mayweather Sr. feels Manny Pacquiao “doesn’t have a chance” of beating Timothy Bradley in their upcoming bout, provided the American fighter can replicate the levels he produced to beat Brandon Rios in November.
That night Bradley forced a ninth-round stoppage, pummelling his opponent with a barrage of punches and staying out of range with sharp movement. Mayweather Sr. said if he adopts those tactics again, similar to those his son Floyd Mayweather Jr. used to beat Pacquiao last May, then there’ll only be one winner.
"Overall I think that if Bradley does what he did the other day versus [Rios]—if Bradley fights that way right there, Pacquiao doesn't have a chance," the trainer told Ryan Burton of BoxingScene.com. "That is what my son did. He hit him when he wanted to and then went and moved. Moved and hit him. That is it and Bradley can do the same thing."
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This Saturday will be the third time these two have squared off. Their first fight, in 2012, saw Bradley emerge victorious via a disputed split decision, while Pacquiao got his revenge with a dominant display in 2014, which he won unanimously with the judges.
The FightNights.com Twitter feed broke down what they think will be crucial when these two complete their trilogy on April 9:
It’s disputable whether Pacquiao will lack motivation in this one. After all, he’s said this is likely to be the last fight of his distinguished boxing career, as Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told ESPN's Dan Rafael, and he’ll want to finish off with a strong performance against a credible foe.
Additionally, after undergoing surgery following his loss to Mayweather Jr., the 37-year-old could have easily walked away from the sport with a positive legacy intact. But Pacquiao has battled back from that setback, and it’s not something that would have been easy to do without a prevalent desire to get in the ring again.
As we can see here courtesy of the Top Rank Boxing Twitter feed, there’s still a lot of attention on the Filipino fighter, too:
What may prove to be his downfall is the tenacity and talent of Bradley, who was impressive in beating Rios last time out, as Mayweather Sr. noted. It was the first time in Rios’ career that he hadn’t made it to the final bell; he faced Pacquiao at full tilt in 2013.
Mayweather Jr. was forensic in the way in which he picked apart Pacquiao, and while few can match the defensive skills and punching accuracy of Money, Bradley showcased signs he’s improving in those areas against a determined Rios.
These highlights from HBO illustrate that emphatically:
These fighters will know each other very well after two bouts previously, and while in the first two Pacquiao was the dominant force, there are unknowns coming into this one. Most notably, it’s unclear how the veteran will respond after surgery and after losing to Mayweather Jr., or whether the untamed desire to dazzle still burns as bright.
A win over Pacquiao and the edge in the trilogy would be a major boost for Bradley, who has been slowly climbing the ladder since his loss to the Filipino and a shock draw with Diego Chaves. While it’s difficult to make a prediction with as much conviction as Mayweather Sr., should he perform in the same vein as he did in November, the American will have a fine chance.
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