It’s all but certain fight legend Manny Pacquiao will face former multi-division champ Adrien Broner on January 12th or 19th.
?It is almost final but it is not yet there,? Manny told the media, adding that the possibility of Pacquiao vs Broner was ’90 percent.’
Of course this fight is supposed to be a warm-up for the big enchilada, the rematch between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.
Do you like the youth and brashness of the 29 year old Broner or the experience and footwork of Pacquiao who will be 40 when he next steps in the ring?
Although early Pacquiao vs Broner odds haven’t been released, expect PacMan to be a solid favorite when they are. Even coming off the controversial loss to Jeff Horn (when Manny didn’t look good) the latter still opened as a slight favorite over Lucas Matthysse who he dominated and KO’d in July.
And while Broner is younger than Matthysse and naturally bigger as a welterweight, he’ll be an even bigger underdog because Manny has looked solid in 3 of his last 4 bouts, and was dynamic in his most recent scrap.
Broner, on the other hand, hasn’t looked bad lately. However, as a welterweight, Adrien has fought more like a No. 10, 11 or 12th ranked fighter than an elite-level powerbroker. And, unlike Matthysse, Adrien hasn’t demonstrated the level of punching power lately to make him an imminent threat.
BoxRec currently ranks Broner as its No. 8 welterweight while Terence Crawford is No.1, PacMan is No. 2 and Errol Spence sits at No. 3.
Expect Manny to be placed at roughly -900 which was the general betting line for his 2016 showdown with Jessie Vargas who drew with Broner earlier this year.
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Manny Pacquiao: Rough odds for last 15 fights
Matthysse -205 Jeff Horn -600 Jessie Vargas -900 Timothy Bradley -245 Floyd Mayweather Jr. +160 Chris Algieri -700 Timothy Bradley -280 Brandon Rios -550 Juan Manuel Marquez -1100 Timothy Bradley -450 Shane Mosley -850 Antonio Margarito -450 Joshua Clottey -600 Miguel Cotto -270 Ricky Hatton -225
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Even if Manny doesn’t knockout Broner, the Cincinnati fighter will presumably have difficulty outpointing PacMan, a fighter with greater punch volume, better combinations and superior footwork.
At welterweight, Broner hasn’t been active enough offensively to be a threat to win on points. When stung or running low on gas, Broner takes long respites in offense, as was the case against Jessie Vargas in April. Broner fell well behind early and was forced to carry nearly every round from 7 on to earn a draw.
And while he should be credited to a degree because he’s never been stopped inside the distance, we’ve seen Broner transform into a defensive shell when he’s presumably focused more on staying upright than unleashing any weaponry of his own. Such was the case in his bouts with Mikey Garcia and Shawn Porter.
Broner will likely need a knockout to win yet he’s recorded just 2 in his last 9 fights. Couple that with the fact that Pacquiao has a solid chin and is extremely difficult to hit cleanly and it’s easy making Manny Pacquiao a -900 favorite over Broner.
My Pick: Pacquiao by UD
Manny might score a knockdown or two but the resilient and athletic Broner will find a way to hold on until the final bell.
