Apparently the next edition of HBO 24/7, which will cover the June 9 fight between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley, will have its own preview debuting on May 19, which is no longer an HBO fight night with the cancellation of Peterson vs Khan II. After the May 19 "Road to Pacquiao-Bradley" show, the normal 24/7 will kick in weekly on Saturdays.
"This is my time," Bradley says in the trailer above. One can only hope so. I don't mean to win the fight, I just mean for this 24/7. Pacquiao has grown very, very dull in this setting. We always hear about Manny's "problems" and "arguments with Alex Ariza" and this stuff, but HBO cameras never catch it. It's mostly about making the fans happy and making a good fight for the fans and buying candy for the fans and whatnot. Then Freddie makes some bold predictions and Manny is happy to fight for the fans.
We need Tim Bradley to be interesting for this series. I'm not saying he should start fronting and acting like "Money Mayweather." One of the most interesting stories I think I've ever seen on a 24/7 or a Countdown show from HBO was Steve Forbes ahead of his fight with Oscar De La Hoya. Just a guy, a fighter, with a family, getting a big shot, hoping to make it count. Just an interesting human being, easy to relate to, easy to root for, easy to like. Whoever Tim Bradley really is, I hope that comes through. The theatrics aren't the key. The key, to be super cliche, is keeping it real.
Pacquiao Blog: Manny Concerned About Headbutts
Bradley Blog: Best and Worst Memories in Boxing