LAS VEGAS–Time to Man-ny up. That’s really the bottom line for Pinoy Idol Manny Pacquiao when he steps into the ring Saturday night in the MGM Grand Garden Arena against prohibitive underdog Tim Bradley. This is a not to be wasted opportunity for Pacman, reborn in terms of his religious beliefs, to put the glitter and the sparkle back on his career resune. A dazzling, dare I say scintillating shellacking of the athletic American, would help dissolve the memory of Pacman’s disappointing performances against faded glory Sugar Shane Mosley and the Mexican counterpunching nemesis, Juan Manuel Marquez. Even the most rabid of Pacman fans have difficulty making a convincing case that Pacquiao, now age 33, was an undisputed winner of Juan Ma in their third fight last November. Echoes of the lusty booing of that decision can still be heard in the arena rafters, some say. The key to this fight, in my jaundiced view, is this: Bradley did not choose himself to be Pacquiao fodder. No, siree Uncle Bob, the bald-pated brawler from Palm Springs did not nominate himself as Manny’s foe. What happened was that Bradley wriggled free of his former promoters, signed a promo deal with Biob Arum’s Top Rank and, after Marquez-Pacman III, was the only desirable foe left in TR’s opponent cupboard. Arum asked veteran matchmaker Bruce Trampler if Bradley was the right choice for this Pacquiao date and Trampler gave his bossman a thumbs up. Voila, the 28 year old Bradley will go home with a check for $5 million after this bout. Look, I’m not downing Bradley’s skills, for they are real. But we all know he’s no heavy puncher and he has a suspect chin. He can swarm Pacquiao but to what end result? Bradley, fighting so aggressively, would seem to be running right into the buzzsaw. That’s how Pacman Coach Freddie Roach sees it. Roach desperately wants a Manny KO victory and he is hoping that his man doesn’t have to walk away with any tainted or slightly tainted DQ victory because of Bradely’s trademark “Billy Goat” headramming tactics. Unbeaten and rising Filipino lightweight contender Mercito “No Mercy” Gesta is among the many boxers who think blood will be shed because of headbutting in this PPV main event. “It could get a little ugly,” the Cebuano who lives and trains with Coach Vince Parra in San Diego told me earlier this week. “Bradley puts his head down and charges in there. He might be walking into Manny’s best punches or there could be a nasty clash of heads.” Menawhile, the Missing Man looms large at Fight Central. Vegas seems a bit quieter, despite frolciking young people at the Electric Diasy Carnival and all over the Strip, with Mr. Floyd Mayweather Jr. being cooped up in the local jail, doing his 87 day bid for the “Baby Mama Drama” situation with Josie Harris. I, for one, don’t miss all the mindless, going nowhere chatter about Floyd verus Manny. If it happens, it happens next year (look for Marquez-Pacman IV in the fall). If it doesn’t happen, so what…life and boxing go on. Big performance, a demolition job on Bradley and one perhaps reminiscent of the blistering of Ricky Hatton, would send a message to all, a message that Pacquiao is not skidding downhill so fast. A so-so effort or a controversial victory and Mayweather will remain the lead dog. Time to Man-ny up, time to make a signature statement. I think he does Man-ny up, Pacquiao by TKO in round seven. ([email protected])
