I?ve been everything from amused to annoyed when I hear the fans and people in the Manny Pacquiao camp say why they don?t need to fight Timothy Bradley. The truth of the matter is, Manny Pacquiao?s legacy needs that fight more than ever.
Manny Pacquiao?s legacy will take a hit if he never fights Floyd Mayweather. These are the two best fighters of their generation, and the fact they haven?t fought each other will be a black mark on their legacy. But lets take a look at Pacquiao?s opponents. Who has he faced that?s a defensive fighter like Mayweather? It was Bradley.
Officially, Pacquiao lost and a lot of people will debate that. But takeaway the win and loss aspect from it and lets focus on the performance. Pacquiao did not hurt or come close to knocking down Bradley in that fight. If you doubt me, watch the Bradley-Pacquiao fight, and then watch the Bradley-Provodnikov fight. Bradley?s face wasn?t marked up after the fight, and he was able to aviod danger from one of the most punishing punchers on two bad feet. Coming into the fight, Pacquiao?s camp was talking about a knock out and how they needed one. They weren?t even close. Now they want to turn down the fight because they say Bradley will run and it won?t be an interesting fight. Well, this is the same kind of fight they?ll get if Pacquiao fights Floyd Mayweather. If they can?t figure out Bradley, how will they figure out Mayweather, whose defense is considered the best ever.
Michael Koncz said they won?t fight Bradley because of the entertanment value. Or to be blunt, they don?t feel they?ll make as much money, or that Pacquiao will have to carry the promotion. Lets get this straight, there?s three other boxers who will bring in more money, and those don?t look like they?ll be happening.
1. Floyd Mayweather. Well we know the history. Unless something significant breaks, this still looks unlikely.
2. Juan Manue Marquez. He brings in a huge audience from Mexico. But Marquez is not interested in a fifth fight when he can end their rivalry with the most convincing victory in the series.
3. Miguel Cotto. He brings a huge audience from Puerto Rico. But they can?t settle on a weight. And recently, Cotto hired Freddie Roach as his trainer, and Freddie also trains Pacquiao, so that won?t happen.
Bradley now has a track record on pay-per-view. He?s been building up an audience. And since when can?t a promoter promote a revenge fight.
I read a blog that implied that if Pacquiao fought Bradley, he would have to do all teh work to sell the fight. Well I was in the media and Pacquiao didn?t really do anything to sell the first fight. If anyone remembers, all Pacquiao talked about was his marital problems and how he?s found God. If people think revenue was disappointing in the first fight, then take a look at how Pacquiao contributed to that first. Bradley, for his part, was readily available. He even showed up to the media tent on the Thursday before the fight, which is traditionally a dead day for the main event fighters. Bradley was there to talk and helped sell the fight.
Frankly, I think the Pacquiao camp has been nothing but talk.
Bradley said he felt he won the first fight 8-4 and wanted to prove it again with a rematch that Pacquiao passed on. What did Bradley do since then? He only beat rising star Ruslan Provodnikov in a Fight of the Year candidate, and then he convincingly beat Marquez, the guy who knocked Pacquiao out cold.
Since the Bradley fight, Pacquiao lost to Marquez and then beat Brandon Rios, a flat-footed fighter who was coming off a loss.
So anyone who says that Pacquiao doesn?t need to fight Bradley is flat-out wrong.
