CATHEDRAL CITY ? The contracts haven’t been signed, but it looks like Manny Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach is already working the referee and judges through the media, labeling Cathedral City’s Timothy Bradley as a dirty fighter.
The fight between Bradley (28-0) and Pacquiao (54-3-2) will be June 9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, although contracts haven’t been signed yet. Both Bradley and Pacquiao already have agreed to fight, and Bradley said nothing holding up the contract signings will stop the fight from happening.
Considered the best trainer in boxing, Roach was quoted in several Internet reports as calling Bradley a dirty fighter who uses his head and elbows.
Bradley sounded amused by the early talk.
?That doesn’t bother me man. It just shows Freddie is a little worried about this fight,? Bradley said. ?That stuff doesn’t get under my skin. People have said worse things about me before.
?He can complain and call me a dirty fighter, this and that. But at the end of the day, we still have to get it on. The last time I checked, it’s a boxing match, it’s a fight. You know, it’s a fight. It doesn’t matter what English he’s trying to work. It’s not going to bother me and it’s not going to stop me from doing what I do.?
One of Pacquiao’s managers also brought up the head butts from Bradley last week, saying it was a concern, particularly after Pacquiao’s last fight. In his victory over Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao suffered a huge cut over his eye that required 26 stitches.
Bradley has a reputation with head butts after his fight against Nate Campbell was declared a no contest, and his fight against Devon Alexander was stopped in the 10th round when Alexander said he couldn’t continue after a head butt. Bradley was not deducted a point for a head butt in either of those bouts.
Because Bradley is a righty and Pacquiao is a lefty, head butts are common as aggressive fighters come in to engage.
?The head butt situation, I don’t do it intentionally,? Bradley said. ?I will say this, they say I come in with my head, Manny comes in with his head as well. I watched many of his tapes. I’ve seen this guy, he’s a great fighter, best in the world, and he does it. He comes in with his head as well.
