I?m predicting Manny to stop Timothy Bradley in the 10th round in an exciting, bloody encounter. But for some, the chase is better than the actual kill, so here are my usual three scenarios for today?s mega-fight. Let?s get right down to it.
FIRST. Bradley comes out jabbing, trying to get a feel for his opponent?s vaunted power. Pacquiao is only too willing to oblige and clips him with a right hook with about a minute left in the round.
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Bradley staggers and his terrific conditioning allows him to exhibit a moment of levity as he grins and motions for Manny to bring it on.
Being a devout Christian, Manny obliges, giving homage to the bedrock dictum of it being better to give than to receive and pummells Bradley along the ropes. The latter covers up and the bell rings. A bloodied Bradley barely makes it to the corner.
?Desert Storm? shifts to survival mode in the next few rounds and to his credit, wills himself back into the fight.
He seems to be winning the fifth round, landing some accurate jabs and hooks when seemingly out of nowhere, a vicious uppercut nearly takes his head off.
A right straight follow-up deposits him near his corner, but it is supefluous as the damage has been done and Bradley was already out on his feet.
As Manny walks to a neutral corner, a white towel flutters in and another one bites the dust.
SECOND. Manny starts out like a house on fire, eager to make up for his lackluster effort against Juan Manuel Marquez. He scores with some left straights while Bradley seems content to jab and move away.
Manny edges rounds two and three with his aggression but Bradley isn?t too far behind. In the 4th, he unleashes a counter right that lands on Manny?s left ear that briefly disrupts the equilibrium of the Pacman.
Bradley starts to find his timing in the fifth and lands a couple of strong right hands. He edges the middle rounds against a strangely reticent Pacman who appears bewildered that Bradley is matching up blow for blow.
Manny changes tactics in the eighth, and waits for Bradley to unload his combos before coming back with his own and this immediately nets him dividends as Bradley is clipped with a left straight just as he is pulling back and goes down hard.
He is up at the count of five and immediately shifts to defensive mode. However, Manny patiently takes his time and picks his shots.
In the ninth and tenth, Manny chases a retreating Bradley around the ring, but in the 11th, ?Desert Storm? roars back with a big left hook that cuts Manny. He furiously tries to capitalize on the cut but Manny is too good and too clever.
In the 12th, both men exchange several combinations in the middle of the ring which brings the crowd to its feet at the denouement of the fight.
The scorecards bear out Manny?s superiority with a unanimous decision win, but Bradley?s performance arguably gives impetus to his demand for a rematch.
THIRD. The first three rounds are fought on fairly even terms with Manny landing his left straights and Bradley countering with right hooks.
In the fourth, a clash of heads suspends the action. Manny comes away from it with a huge gash on his forehead while Bradley is only nicked.
The cut visibly bothers Manny?s activity as his aggression wanes. Bradley starts to target the cut and in the eighth, it opens up and bothers the Pacman?s vision.
The doctor allows the fight to continue and Manny, egged on by the chanting crowd, roars back with some furious combinations. He is getting the better of the exchanges and staggers Bradley.
However, the blood begins flowing freely and in between rounds, the doctor orders a halt.
It is a hollow TKO victory for Bradley, and latter acknowledges it in the post fight interview, claiming a rematch is imperative.
Manny, however, makes reference to his impending retirement, saying that after 60 fights he is seeing the finish line of his storied career, fueling speculation that his last fight could be a toss-up between a Bradley rematch or the long awaited showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
LAST ROUNDS. Are on on Stela C. Ostrea, Daisy Lourdes Barnes who recently celebrated their birthdays and on adorable couple Ditdit and Janet Gorne on their 25th anniversary. Cheers!
