Pacquiao vs. Bradley 3: Tale of Tape, Fights Records and More for Both Boxers
An old adage suggests the third time is a charm, something the rubber match between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley will put to the test Saturday.
Is it a charm for Pacquiao? He already redeemed himself for one of the oddest losses of his career by beating Bradley in their second encounter, but now he needs an emphatic finish to what might be the last fight of his career.
What about Bradley? The man chastised for his split decision upset in the first match got whipped in the second, but recent changes and a win Saturday would lead to a career jump unlike anything he's experienced.
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Little hype or not, the future of boxing hinges on Saturday's main event.
Pacquiao vs. Bradley 3
When: Saturday, April 9 at 9 p.m. ET
Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas
TV/Live Stream: PPV
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
| Arthur Abraham vs. Gilberto Ramirez | WBO World Super Middleweight title |
| Oscar Valdez vs. Evgeny Gradovich | WBO/NABO Featherweight title |
| Jose Ramirez vs. Manuel Perez | WBC Continental Americas Junior Welterweight |
| Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley | Vacant WBO International Welterweight title |
Tale of the Tape and Preview
| 5'5" | Height | 5'6" |
| 67 in | Reach | 69 in |
| 37 | Age | 32 |
| Filipino | Nationality | American |
| Southpaw | Stance | Orthodox |
| 57 | Wins | 33 |
| 38 | Wins by KO | 13 |
| 6 | Losses | 1 |
| 2 | Draw | 1 |
Normally the tale of the tape is a great reference point.
It is here for most things, though that 13-knockout mark for Bradley seems to stick out like a weak point, suggesting he's a guy who likes to outpoint an opponent on the way to the scorecard—sort of like he did in the controversial first finish.
But maybe the number isn't so telling. The biggest storyline about Bradley going into this one is the most important of the fight. He seems almost like a new fighter after bringing on Teddy Atlas as his trainer, the first major change at this point of his career.
The proof is there, as Bradley went on to TKO Brandon Rios, his first sort-of-knockout victory since 2011.
Atlas is a guru and has Bradley rejuvenated. He's invested, too, as one glance at an interview with ESPN.com's Wallace Matthews shows: "Nothing is more important than what this fight means to Timmy and his family, and to me and my family. Nothing is more important than not seeing Timmy's family crying, and not seeing my family crying. Nothing is more important than not seeing Timmy lose."
Emotional, but that's the theme of this fight for Bradley, who experienced a bit of a career derailment after global backlash over his win against Pacquiao. Now he's got a chance at redemption and to really announce his presence as a top contender and new fighter.
Pacquiao's just looking to put a finish to his career.
After an odd 11 months away from the sport to rehab a shoulder issue that plagued his fight with Floyd Mayweather, Pacquiao has something to prove against Bradley, one of the only men on the planet to ever best him.
Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole explained how Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach view this bout:
"Roach believes he’ll bring back that ferocity against Bradley. For one, he has the motivation to make up for the loss against Mayweather. He also wants to definitively prove he’s the better boxer even though he has split his first two fights with Bradley.
And then there’s the little matter of Saturday’s bout being his finale. All week, he’s equivocated and said he’s not sure. At the dais at Wednesday’s news conference, he said specifically it would be his last fight.
"
A more aggressive Pacquiao would be nice to see, especially if this is goodbye. He hasn't scored a knockout victory since 2009, so Pacquiao going headhunting to put an exclamation point on a career sounds like a good time.
Risky? Sure. But there's an air of Pacquiao needing to prove himself all over again. It doesn't help he wants this to be his last fight. But a loss would be damaging almost in an irreparable sense, as that would be two in a row, put him at a losing record against Bradley and perhaps even impact his stance in the world of politics.
So while there isn't as much hype for this fight as other notable big events over the past few years, it's quite clear the long-reaching ramifications of this one demands attention. The storylines loom large, and the tale of the tape says these two were the perfect pair for each other inside the ring.
They might have 24 rounds in the books against one another, but the next 12 or less dwarf anything they've experienced together thus far.
Odds via Odds Shark.
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