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Pacquiao vs Bradley: Tim Bradley Says Movement Is Key, Trainer Calls Manny One-Dimensional

Timothy Bradley and Joel Diaz believe they've got Manny Pacquiao scouted for Saturday's fight. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
Timothy Bradley and Joel Diaz believe they've got Manny Pacquiao scouted for Saturday's fight. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
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Scott Christ is the managing editor of Bad Left Hook and has been covering boxing for SB Nation since 2006.

Timothy Bradley and trainer Joel Diaz are confident that they've got the right game plan in face to take down Manny Pacquiao on Saturday night, which would be if not the truly biggest, the most notable boxing upset in some time.

[ Pacquiao vs Bradley: Final Press Conference Report ]

Bradley says that movement is key for him, and that Manny will have trouble with someone not standing in front of him:

"Most of the guys that he's faced, they stand right in front of him and they come forward. But when you've got a guy that can be right here one minute and be over there the next minute, and weave over here now, it's a lot more difficult because he has to find me. ... My movement is going to kill him. It's going to throw him off. He needs a fighter that stands in front of him."

Bradley (28-0, 12 KO) has shown an ability to adapt to various opponents, and has successfully employed many different tactical approaches to win fights. But there's no question that Manny Pacquiao is an all-new task, and what has worked in the past against the likes of Devon Alexander, Lamont Peterson, Kendall Holt, and Junior Witter, certainly doesn't mean that Bradley will be able to adjust to the more dynamic and explosive Pacquiao.

Bradley's trainer Joel Diaz doesn't see Manny as a great puzzle, though. He tells Chris Robinson that Manny is one-dimensional, and that Bradley's ability to adjust will win the fight -- if he listens to his corner:

"Timothy can adjust. Manny Pacquiao is one-dimensional. You're going to see that. You're going to see a great Timothy Bradley. You're going to see his skills, his real skills. Because when Tim feels the confidence, when he feels that he's in control, he goes on his own. Sometimes, he does things on his own. But, for this one, Saturday, when we closed camp, that was part of my training; you've got to follow my orders to the last point. If you follow my orders, believe me, everything is going to be well. Just listen to me, because I'll be fighting the fight with you."

This is not just the biggest fight of Bradley's career, of course, but also it's the biggest fight for Diaz -- and that matters, too. Trainer and fighter have to be locked in together for this sort of opportunity. If one of them gets itchy and makes the wrong call, the whole thing could fall apart. Roach and Pacquiao have been here before, to say the least. Bradley and Diaz are going into the deep waters. Where there's sharks! And other things! Can they swim! I dunno!


More Pacquiao-Bradley Coverage From SBN
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