Manny Pacquiao speaks before final fight
Congressman Manny ?Pacman? Pacquiao and Timothy ?Desert Storm? Bradley go head to head in Los Angeles today as they begin their promotional countdown to a trilogy fight in Las Vegas on Saturday, April, 9,at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Pacquiao has stated that this will be his last contest, as the boxer who rose from rags in a shanty town to riches and fame in the United States and in his homeland, focuses his life on running for Senate in The Philippines.
Pacquiao (record 57-6-2, 38 KOs), of General Santos City, Philippines, boxing’s only eight-division world champion collides with five-time world champion Bradley (record 33-1-1, 13 KOs) in a 12-round welterweight championship battle.
Pacquiao lost his WBO welterweight belt to Bradley in a controversial split-decision defeat in their first fight at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas – a result which stunned onlookers and all but a few in the boxing world.
It was Pacquiao’s first loss in 16 fights, stretching back to his defeat against Erik Morales in 2005. At the time, the defeat all but rendered the much-maligned contest with Floyd Mayweather Jnr dead in the water.
Yet the Filipino was clinical earning a unanimous decision in his rematch with Bradley, avenging his controversial 2012 loss in their first meeting to claim the WBO welterweight crown.
Judges Craig Metcalfe and Michael Pernick scored the rematch 116-112 for Pacquiao, while Glenn Trowbridge favoured the Filipino congressman 118-110. From ringside that night, I had it 117-111 for the man known in his native land as ‘The National Fist’.
That was imprinted on Bradley’s head and body in this return rubber. It was conclusive.
Hurt in the fourth round by a hard overhand right, Pacquiao used his vast experience to get through a difficult second quarter of the fight to come back and dominate the contest.
It was the eleventh world title belt to be placed around Pacquiao’s waist in a 56-5-2 career spanning 19 years. Remarkably, he it meant that Pacquiao’s record is 6-1 in rematches in his illustrious career.
The two fighters will be joined in Los Angeles by their respective trainers, Freddie Roach and Teddy Atlas, and Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.
Join me as I live blog the news conference from 7.30pm UK time.
