Philippines, 12 Jan 2026
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Goodbye, Perfect Warrior


PhilBoxing.com




TRAINER Teddy Atlas can?t be blamed for disputing the 7th-round knockdown suffered by Timothy Bradley in the hands of Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas last Saturday.

The blitz combination connected by Pacquiao slashed out in a blur.

Atlas was only human. The punches delivered by Pacquiao were barely visible.

**

That blazing point in the 7th round, by the way, could have well sparked the moment of truth in the third encounter between the rivals, a bout which had been billed in advance as a real war.

Pacquiao, aiming for a spectacular finish, did go for a knockout, as he had vowed. But there were hazy, surreal moments when Pacquiao, clearly not his old fiery self, tarried repeatedly and went on to yield at least a total of three rounds to his muscular opponent.

The bout was already slipping into a dull remake of their first two encounters--until Pacquiao decided to stop carefully pacing himself.

**

He went full-blast in a snap. If the 7th round decking had puzzled Atlas, the incident in the 9th round when Bradley fell backward and tumbled over as though swept by a tornado?his cute black shoes comically trained toward the sky?clearly capped Pacquiao?s epic stand in what he said would be his farewell bout.

**

It was not the best of Pacquiao out there on Saturday night.
However, it can?t be denied it was perfect both for himself and his loving fans.

A perfect night for the Perfect Warrior.

**

Oddly, Bradley would himself claim he couldn?t remember-- he neither noticed nor felt--the scalpel-sharp left blow that must have landed like a numbing bludgeon in the ninth.

For the record, Bradly did start to loom like a big riddle in the pre-fight days; but he ultimately ended up punished and truly puzzled at the end of the 12-round non-title bout.
In the final round alone, there was no disputing what trainer Freddie Roach had predicted that, although supposedly resharpened and reformed by his credentialed trainer, Bradley would revert to his old stamerring self once he felt the horse-kick power of Pacquiao?s hands.

**

Shortly before the final bell, when ringside fans were all on their feet, Pacquiao decided to go all out for a knockout. Bradley, his mouth cut and bloodied, was caught between rope strands following another bombardment.

The hulking but frantic Amertican appeared as though he was groping for the fire escape.

Didn?t he actually want to slip out of the ring?

You can go any day Mr. Bradley.

Please don?t go, Manny Pacquiao.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Recah Trinidad.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • STUNNING SMITH DESTROYS MATIAS TO BECOME WORLD CHAMPION
    , Sun, 11 Jan 2026
  • Former WBC champ Bazooka Limón hospitalized in Mexico
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sun, 11 Jan 2026
  • Zuffa Boxing set to unveil its maiden card on January 23 in Las Vegas
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sat, 10 Jan 2026
  • ‘I’ve got an army and army’s move in numbers’ Owen Corrigan returns for Light Heavyweight title Clash March 13 in Perth – Thunderdome 53
    , Sat, 10 Jan 2026
  • Pasalamat Festival Chess Tour 2026 to Push Through
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 10 Jan 2026
  • MANNY PACQUIAO PROMOTIONS & TURNING STONE RESORT CASINO PRESENT CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28 - VERONA, NY
    , Sat, 10 Jan 2026
  • ELIF TURHAN SIGNS NEW MULTI-FIGHT DEAL WITH MATCHROOM BOXING – FIRST IBF WORLD TITLE DEFENCE DATE SET FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 31
    , Sat, 10 Jan 2026
  • Driving Philippine Tennis Forward: Jean Henri Lhuillier Champions the 2026 Cebuana Lhuillier Tennis Tour
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 10 Jan 2026
  • 2026 USA Boxing Elite High Performance Selection Camp Attendees Announced
    , Sat, 10 Jan 2026
  • ‘I’m ready to make some noise’ Billy Quinncroft returns for Cruiserweight title Clash March 13 in Perth – Thunderdome 53
    , Fri, 09 Jan 2026
  • Dableo and Laylo's Team to Compete in Bulacan
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 09 Jan 2026
  • Sanman Boxing present Yeerken vs. Carcedo WBA Asia South Title Clash in General Santos City on Feb 9
    , Fri, 09 Jan 2026
  • Hardstone adds 2 more title fights on January 26
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 09 Jan 2026
  • Panamerican Boxing Confederation Partners with Xempower for Digital and AI-Driven Transformation
    , Fri, 09 Jan 2026
  • IGMOB TALENT GROUP Launches www.IGMOBTalent.com to Represent Fighters, Entertainers, and Rising Talent Across Sports & Media
    , Fri, 09 Jan 2026
  • SEAG Davao-based athletes eye International stints
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 09 Jan 2026
  • Canoy banking on his ring experience against Kuse
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 08 Jan 2026
  • Undefeated Kansas Middleweight Prospect Marco “El Tiburon” Romero finished 2025 with 7th triumphs, all by knockout, & 11-0 record
    , Thu, 08 Jan 2026
  • Kinetix Sports aims for bigger events in 2026
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 08 Jan 2026
  • 2026 Santa Maria Town Fiesta Chess Challenge on January 26
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 08 Jan 2026
  • World Ranked Heavyweight Dainier Pero Headlines on Saturday, January 17th at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia
    , Wed, 07 Jan 2026
  • Jahyae Brown to Battle Arnold Gonzalez in Exciting Co-Feature on Thursday, January 15th at The War Memorial in Trenton, New Jersey
    , Wed, 07 Jan 2026
  • Hendri Cedeno Seeks Monumental Victory Against Alfredo Santiago for NABO Title January 10 at Barclays Center
    , Tue, 06 Jan 2026
  • Kingsley Ibeh learned from his Loss 5 years ago to Jared Anderson
    , Tue, 06 Jan 2026
  • Unified World Cruiserweight Champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez returning to Corpus Christi…as a promoter!
    , Tue, 06 Jan 2026




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2026 philboxing.com.