There will be plenty who think Bradley will get dominated come fight night against the best (depending on who you speak to) fighter in the world. Not this writer. Despite being an honorary member of the Pacquiao fan club, it does not make me blind to his misgivings. Make no bones about it, Pacquiao is a once-in-a-lifetime fighter, and those who argue otherwise, accusing him of being under the guise of careful management and cherry picking, are usually never going to be swayed otherwise.
The last fighter to rise 40 pounds and beat even the worst titleholder was Roy Jones Jr. Few would argue that is a detriment. However, Timothy Bradley, widely viewed as a safe bet for Pacquiao, has a come-forward, head-first (quite literally), fan-friendly style. This seems to fit right into Pacquiao?s hands having fought a defensive Shane Mosley and his rival and counter punching genius Juan Manuel Marquez. Arum will be hoping that Bradley?s style will bring out the brilliant, scintillating fighter that we saw dismantle Cotto and destroy Margarito, and many fans believe this will be the case.
This writer, however, disagree. Bradley will make it very tough for Pacquiao, and in my opinion, will win come June 9th. His come-forward style isn?t unlike Cotto?s or Hatton?s, but his defense is underrated and he is an excellent inside fighter. Some have noticed that despite being the smaller man for the majority of his welterweight career, Pacquiao cannot effectively engage on the inside, and as Marquez has shown time and time again, Manny doesn?t like straight right hands, arguably Bradley?s best punch. Moreover, the safest bet for the fight, and I?m sure most of you already know this, is that someone is getting cut, most likely Manny. It isn?t enough that they are a southpaw and orthodox fighter clashing together, Bradley has cut the majority of his recent opponents with headbutts, with these ending the Nate Campbell and Alexander fights in recent memory. Just another thing to worry about for Manny.
Of course I won?t be surprised if Manny wins, such is his excellency, but what makes it worse for the Pac-Man if he loses is Bradley is a relative unknown to much of the general public with little paying fanfare. He wouldn?t be losing to a bonafide superstar. The general public will see a loss as a major stock drop for the pound-for-pound king, denting his future financial earnings somewhat. Despite my preconceptions about this fight, I sincerely hope we see the Manny of old, if only to hold onto the slowly fading hopes we can see what every fight fan wants to see, a Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown. After all, where else is there to go for both fighters now? I?d wager the only viable option that will generate real interest is a fight with the mercurial Sergio Martinez, but I can?t see either Floyd or Manny risking their respective legacies in such a risky fight.
