Pacquiao-Bradley III: Game over for PacMan?
theScore will be providing complete round-by-round coverage of Pacquiao-Bradley III on Saturday, April 9 at 9 p.m. ET
If Manny Pacquiao is to be believed, Saturday night's 12-round welterweight fight (HBO PPV, 9 p.m. ET) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena will mark the end of his illustrious 21-year professional boxing career.
For his final fight, Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs) did not select the most marketable opponent nor one he could simply walk over. Instead, Timothy Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KOs) will join Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez as the only boxers to get a third crack at Pacquiao. Their series currently stands at 1-1, so the winner will claim bragging rights for all time - if Pacquiao sticks to his retirement plan.
But who will come out ahead in the final chapter?
Power vs. volume
It's no secret that Bradley, 32, is regarded as a light puncher, known more for his calculated output than his lethal knockout power. Ironically, it was a desire to land more concussive, but less accurate, shots that may have cost Bradley the decision in his second fight with Pacquiao.
Bradley brought in trainer and TV analyst Teddy Atlas to revamp his style ahead of his fight with Brandon Rios last November. The result was a ninth-round TKO of Rios, the first knockout win for Bradley in four years. Preparing for Pacquiao, Atlas has put an even greater emphasis on defense, a strategy that certainly worked for Floyd Mayweather against the only eight-division champion in boxing history.
Of course, Bradley is no Mayweather, but if he can balance his expert counterpunching with enough offense to prevent the 37-year-old Pacquiao from backing him up, he may be able to sway the judges as he did in their first fight (which almost nobody thought Bradley deserved to win).
That's easier said than done, as Pacquiao has vowed that he's both 100 percent healthy and dedicated to bringing back the guns-a-blazing style that made him one of the most popular boxers on the planet. Whether that plays directly into Bradley's revised game plan, or leads to a vintage Pacquiao performance, remains to be seen.
This time it’s personal (?)
The decision to give Bradley the honor of being Pacquiao’s final opponent was a head-scratcher. Even though it's the third meeting between the two, neither of their previous fights had much heat. Bradley may have ended Pacquiao’s seven-year unbeaten streak in their first encounter, but the decision was widely panned, and Pacquiao handled Bradley easily in the rematch. Case closed, or so it seemed.
On the verge of Pacquiao-Bradley III, there is little in the way of a compelling narrative for the bout, save for Bradley condemning Pacquiao’s recent anti-gay comments. Bradley even went so far as to endorse Pacquiao's political endeavors, essentially nullifying his earlier criticisms.
At the very least, Bradley should be motivated to avenge the only loss of his career. If he’s able to topple Pacquiao without controversy this time, he might finally gain the fame to go along with the success he’s had inside the ring.
A storybook ending
From 2005-12, Pacquiao was arguably the most feared boxer on the planet, a roaring knockout machine who seemed to pack the entire nation of the Philippines behind every punch. He holds wins over Erik Morales, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley, and Juan Manuel Marquez. His legacy as arguably the greatest rags-to-riches story in the sport's history is sealed.
Even his most famous defeat is a testament to his legacy, as his fight with Mayweather last May annihilated every box office record despite Pacquiao losing in a snoozer.
Fortunately for Pacquiao, a hiatus from in-ring action (permanent or not) will only give him more time to focus on his political aspirations - he's running for senate in the Philippines' national elections in May - as well as his singing, acting, and basketball careers. This might be the last time we see him box, but nothing will stop the Pacquiao show from rolling on.