Bad Left Hook - Pacquiao vs Bradley II: Full fight coverage including live streams, previews, updates, and moreGlobal Boxing News and Commentaryhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47131/backingthepack-fave.png2014-05-12T11:53:46-04:00http://www.badlefthook.com/rss/stream/52826812014-05-12T11:53:46-04:002014-05-12T11:53:46-04:00Pacquiao-Bradley II does 750-800K buys
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<p>Manny Pacquiao isn't selling on pay-per-view like he used to, and Bob Arum believes it's time to go full steam ahead in Macau.</p> <p>Despite it seeming like there was more buzz for the rematch than there was for their first fight in 2012, the April 12 HBO pay-per-view rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley did disappointing pay-per-view buys, with promoter <a href="http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/10912510/manny-pacquiao-timothy-bradley-jr-pay-per-view-sales-dropped-rematch" target="_blank">Bob Arum telling ESPN.com that the fight did about 750,000 to 800,000 buys</a>.</p>
<p>Arum admitted the numbers were a disappointment, and it appears now that the mediocre U.S. PPV returns for this fight may lead Pacquiao back to Macau, where he fought Brandon Rios last November.</p>
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<p>"We're between 750,000 and 800,000. Sure, it's a disappointment... I'm telling you, it is what it is. The numbers are the numbers. Having (future Pacquiao) fights in Macau makes so much sense because we can do huge site fees and we want to launch pay-per-view in China. We couldn't get it up and running for the Rios fight but we will, and then, between that and the site fee, we won't be so reliant on the pay-per-view in the United States."</p>
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<p>Pacquiao-Rios did even worse on pay-per-view, but Arum is now, obviously, focusing less on that and more on revenue from other streams. Don't be mistaken, though. It's not that Arum wants to halfway throw in the towel on U.S. PPV money, it's just that he sees it for what it is. Manny Pacquiao's time as a million seller on pay-per-view, at least as an automatic million, are over.</p>
<p>Arum believes, too, that the lack of a Mexican or Hispanic opponent hurt the fight, saying that Bradley and Top Rank tried to "energize the black community, without that much success."</p>
<p>Should Pacquiao and Arum head back to Macau for their next fight? Is it time to take advantage of that budding market and perhaps leave Vegas behind?</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/5/12/5709994/pacquiao-vs-bradley-ii-ppv-buys-come-in-at-750-800k-arum-admitsScott Christ2014-04-15T16:30:02-04:002014-04-15T16:30:02-04:00Roach on Manny's future, Saturday's fight
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<p>Manny Pacquiao's win over Timothy Bradley last weekend was impressive, but Freddie Roach says he's made at himself for not preparing Manny for the way Bradley fought. Also, Floyd Mayweather in the future? Sure, great, no.</p> <p><strong>On Manny's performance against Bradley</strong></p>
<p>"He did OK. We really didn't expect his opponent to come out and fight that kind of fight. I really thought he was gonna be a counter-puncher and fight like he did in his last fight against Marquez. He had so much success in that fight. I think a lot of times that carries over into the next. But he came out gunning, going for the fences. He was swinging hard. He hurt Manny in the fourth round. He was swinging so hard that by the sixth round, he was about finished. Manny dominated from the sixth round on and he won the fight pretty easily. (Bradley) was dangerous for the first part of the fight. He came and tried to win, and I respect that. I'm a little pissed off at myself because I really didn't see that style coming and I really didn't get Manny ready for that style of fight."</p>
<p><strong>On Bradley buzzing Pacquiao</strong></p>
<p>"I was surprised. Thing is, I never saw Tim throw that hard. He hit Manny with some body shots that I was just cringing. They gotta hurt, because he was putting his whole body into them. He looked like a better puncher than he's ever been tonight. He did hurt Manny with that big overhand right. I never thought of going back to the Marquez and watching when Manny got hit with the big overhand right, the first knockdown in that fight. That's the fight (Bradley) went off of. I'm really pissed that I didn't see that coming. I know better. I made a mistake."</p>
<p><strong>On questions about Manny going forward</strong></p>
<p>"He tried to finish him a couple times when he had him on the ropes. Obviously, this guy's got a really good chin. He's never been knocked out before. Manny didn't seem to hurt him too badly. Yeah, he had him hurt a little bit, but not close to a stoppage. Bradley's a very tough guy and he's got a good chin. I liked the aggressiveness Manny fought with. Sometimes he stayed in the pocket a little too long and got hit with some shots he shouldn't have, but overall I thought he fought a pretty good fight."</p>
<p><strong>On Pacquiao's next fight - Mayweather?</strong></p>
<p>"It's obviously still feasible. One day in my life a couple years ago, I was asked every day in my life about the Mayweather fight, no matter where I was or what country I was in. It's lost maybe a little bit, but it's still the biggest fight out there. It's still a fight that we want, one we want badly. More than Marquez. Definitely more than Marquez. Because we've already done that five times, or six, something like that. The thing is, we would like to get that one back, yes, it's the next best thing. But Mayweather's still the top guy out there because he's considered the best fighter in the world today, pound-for-pound. He's the No. 1 guy. He's undefeated, and we would like to give him his first loss."</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/15/5617470/freddie-roach-discusses-pacquiaos-performance-his-own-game-planScott Christ2014-04-15T13:52:32-04:002014-04-15T13:52:32-04:00Pacquiao-Bradley does lowest Manny gate in years
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<p>It's been a long time since Manny Pacquiao's Nevada gate receipts have dipped below $8 million, but they did just that this past Saturday in his rematch with Timothy Bradley.</p> <p>Last Saturday night's rematch at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley did a live gate total of $7,865,100, with a paid attendance of 14,099, according to the Nevada State Athletic Commission.</p>
<p>You may be wondering how that compares to their 2012 fight. Well, that fight sold 13,229 tickets, but with a gate total of $8,963,180. Simply put, Manny Pacquiao fight tickets were more expensive in 2012 than they are in 2014.</p>
<p>This rematch seemed to generate more interest than the first fight, but that may have been just within the vacuum of diehard boxing fans, who saw this as a good matchup between guys with a score to settle, both of whom are high level fighters. But that doesn't say anything about the general perception of the more casual fan out there. Do they see Manny Pacquiao fights as events like we do? Probably to some degree, but maybe not the same as before, at least for now.</p>
<p>There's also the possibility that many of those fight fans, a percentage of whom may not have seen or cared about Tim Bradley beating Provodnikov and Marquez in 2013, didn't believe this fight even needed to happen at all, what with Pacquiao having so convincingly won in 2012, in the eyes of most.</p>
<p>We'll see what the pay-per-view numbers look like to be able to judge more on this, but they did put over 14,000 into the MGM Grand, which is not a sellout, but neither was the first fight. And a gate of just under $8 million is probably about what was expected, though it is Manny's lowest gate total in Nevada in years:</p>
<p><a href="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4303437/chartgo.png" target="_blank"><img alt="Chartgo_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/assets/4303437/chartgo_medium.png"></a></p>
<p>I want to make clear that I'm not saying this was a bad fight or that Pacquiao isn't popular anymore. The fight itself was great on paper and great in execution, I don't think anyone felt let down by the performances of either fighter, and Manny is obviously still one of the biggest names in the sport. But this <i>is</i> his lowest Nevada gate total in many years, his lowest since he became the A-side superstar fighter that he still is. Does that mean anything for now? I don't know. It's just a fact that it's a low gate for Manny Pacquiao. It's also a dream gate for a lot of top fighters.</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/15/5617552/pacquiao-vs-bradley-ii-live-gate-comes-in-at-7-8-million-mannysScott Christ2014-04-13T18:45:01-04:002014-04-13T18:45:01-04:00What's next for Timothy Bradley?
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<p>Two years ago, Timothy Bradley appeared to have lost his undefeated record to Manny Pacquiao. Last night, he actually did. Where does Bradley go from here?</p> <p>Timothy Bradley displayed the heart and guts and passion that have returned some respect to him over the last two years following his robbery win over Manny Pacquiao in 2012, and after last night's <a href="http://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/13/5609612/pacquiao-vs-bradley-ii-results-manny-pacquiao-wins-clear-decision-in" target="_blank">game but clear loss in the rematch</a>, Bradley should still be respected as one of the best fighters out there. Whether he is or not, we'll have to wait and see.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/13/5611134/whats-next-for-manny-pacquiao-after-his-win-over-timothy-bradley" target="_blank">Pacquiao's options are limited, as mentioned earlier</a>, and indeed, Bradley faces a similar issue. Being a Top Rank fighter means he's not going to be facing Floyd Mayweather, Shawn Porter, Paulie Malignaggi, Robert Guerrero, Keith Thurman, Marcos Maidana, Amir Khan, Luis Collazo, Danny Garcia, Lucas Matthysse, etc.</p>
<p>Being a Top Rank fighter means his options at 147 pounds are rather meager at the moment. But unlike Pacquiao, who needs to sell a pay-per-view next time out and forevermore, Bradley can return to "regular" HBO, and doesn't need a particularly marketable opponent. That does open up further options, at least a little bit.</p>
<p><b>Loser of Juan Manuel Marquez vs Mike Alvarado</b></p>
<p>If Marquez loses to Alvarado, you have to think he'll retire, what with a 147 pound title shot not looking likely. Bradley was the fight Marquez recently wanted but didn't get, but with Bradley no longer holding the WBO belt, would he see that as too big a risk for too little reward? Probably.</p>
<p>Bradley-Alvarado, both coming off of losses (and it would be two straight for Alvarado), could work. It's not a great fight, but it's sure as hell better than Sergey Kovalev-Cedric Agnew or Ruslan Provodnikov-Chris Algieri on paper, and those are HBO main events in 2014. The network was willing to roll with Golovkin vs Andy Lee. HBO has room for Bradley-Alvarado.</p>
<p><b>Brandon Rios</b></p>
<p>While Rios might be looking for a get-well fight next, it's also possible that he won't see the point in that, and will want to get back in there with a top name. Rios has lost two in a row, but he's always exciting, and we know for a fact that Bradley can be dragged into a brawl he doesn't need. If Bradley's opponents are aggressive and connect (Pacquiao, Provodnikov), he will roar back with offense. If they aren't (Marquez), he's content to comfortably box from the outside. Bradley-Rios might not seem that great right now, but again -- Agnew. Algieri. Andy Lee. Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.</p>
<p><b>Ruslan Provodnikov</b></p>
<p>If/when Provodnikov smashes Chris Algieri, it's possible that Ruslan could look to move back up to 147 to seek revenge on Bradley. He'd have to like his chances -- he nearly knocked Tim out the first time, and Bradley showed against Pacquiao that he's still vulnerable to fighting dumb. There would be better money and a bigger opportunity with rematching Bradley at 147 than anything Provodnikov is likely to find at 140.</p>
<p>After that, the ideas get a little sketchy. Rios may wind up the best option out there for the short-term. Is that good enough? In some ways, yes. In other ways, I can see why people would say no.</p>
<p>Who do you want to see Bradley face next, given the options that are realistic?</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/13/5611206/whats-next-for-timothy-bradley-after-his-loss-to-manny-pacquiaoScott Christ2014-04-13T17:09:24-04:002014-04-13T17:09:24-04:00What's next for Manny Pacquiao?
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<p>Manny Pacquiao got himself back into the (non-Floyd) pound-for-pound discussion last night, so what's next for Top Rank's biggest star?</p> <p>Manny Pacquiao's rematch win last night over Timothy Bradley proved that the 35-year-old Filipino superstar certainly has plenty left in the tank, and that another strong run here at the back end of his career is not only not out of the question, but seems a likelihood, if not a certainty.</p>
<p>Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KO) erased a blemish most people didn't even think was really there with his 12-round decision victory over Bradley (31-1, 12 KO), and now the question is simple: what next?</p>
<p>Let's take a look at some potential Manny suitors for later this year and into 2015, and potentially beyond.</p>
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<p><b>Floyd Mayweather</b></p>
<p>Let's get it out of the way first. Yes, it's a fight that should happen. Yes, a lot of people still want to see it. I am one of them. Frankly, I think if you argue that you <i>don't</i> want to see this fight, you're revealing some kind of weird bias against ... something, I'm not sure what.</p>
<p>There's no reasonable doubt that Mayweather-Pacquiao is still a better fight than just about anything else that Floyd can make at 147 or 154 pounds. The Canelo fight last year was an excellent matchup, and Floyd did his usual thing. But is there anybody out there who's really going to pretend that they found Robert Guerrero a more interesting opponent than Manny would be, or the upcoming Marcos Maidana fight more compelling? Come on. Get serious.</p>
<p>Mayweather's in-house options with Golden Boy/Mayweather Promotions/Haymon Industries Inc. are getting thinner and thinner, just as Manny's are with Top Rank. Floyd and Manny aren't going to fight unless there's a massive shift in boxing politics, though, and while it's a shame, that's also the end of the story.</p>
<p><b>Winner of Juan Manuel Marquez vs Mike Alvarado</b></p>
<p>Marquez and Alvarado will meet on May 17 in Los Angeles, and Top Rank has already stated their intention to match the winner of that fight with the winner of the April 12 bout, which was Pacquiao. So that would mean either a fifth fight with Marquez, which I think there's still plenty of demand for, or a bout with Alvarado, which seems fairly weak right now, but if Alvarado went out and beat Marquez, would be a decent enough bout to make.</p>
<p>I think most would prefer that Marquez win and set up Pacquiao-Marquez V: Once and Five All, because that would in theory be the final settling of the great rivalry. But if it's Pacquiao-Alvarado, I can't imagine that fight being much bigger than Pacquiao-Rios was, especially with Manny looking so fantastic against Bradley, unless Alvarado did something spectacular with Marquez.</p>
<p>Here's the good news: Marquez-Alvarado means that there is a fight in place that will produce a Pacquiao challenger. In the unlikely event of a draw, surely Marquez would get the Pacquiao fight, for whatever it would then be worth.</p>
<p>Here's the bad news: This is all Top Rank really has for Manny right now. Most of the division's names on American shores are with the Haymon conglomerate -- Mayweather, Maidana, Guerrero, Malignaggi, Porter, Broner, Thurman, Alexander, Khan, Collazo, Garcia when he moves up, Matthysse. Those are all Showtime fighters.</p>
<p><b>Kell Brook</b></p>
<p>Brook is an unbeaten challenger, but has no name value in the States, and anyway, he and promoter Eddie Hearn have targeted the IBF belt, and do intend to face next weekend's Porter-Malignaggi winner. I suppose Top Rank could overpay for Brook, but why would they?</p>
<p>Realistically, 2014 is set. Manny's going to fight the Marquez-Alvarado victor. As for 2015 and/or beyond, that's a whole other story. Maybe <a target="_blank" href="http://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/12/5609372/pacquiao-vs-bradley-ii-live-streaming-results-jessie-vargas-takes-wba">Jessie Vargas, who won a belt at 140 last night</a>, will make himself a viable opponent by then? Maybe Ruslan Provodnikov will decide to get a new trainer and take a shot at Pacquiao? Maybe if Kermit Cintron wins a couple more fights against mid-level foes, HBO can be fooled into their umpteenth Cintron main event mistake?</p>
<p>It's not the prettiest long-term picture for Pacquiao at the moment, but boxing is a short-term entertainment option and sport these days. For all we know, a third fight with Bradley could come in 2015. But Top Rank at the moment doesn't seem to have a really big fight for Pacquiao, other than a fifth fight with Marquez. And what happens there? If Marquez wins, do they beg Juan Manuel for a sixth fight to break the 2-2-1 tie? If Manny wins, and he's officially 3-1-1 against Marquez, will anyone have made themselves a useful opponent for Pacquiao by that point?</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/13/5611134/whats-next-for-manny-pacquiao-after-his-win-over-timothy-bradleyScott Christ2014-04-13T12:50:05-04:002014-04-13T12:50:05-04:00Atlas: Pacquiao impressive, but not his old self
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<figcaption>Jeff Gross</figcaption>
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<p>ESPN analyst and famed trainer Teddy Atlas gives his thoughts on Manny Pacquiao's win over Timothy Bradley last night.</p> <p><b>Teddy Atlas' fight analysis:</b></p>
<p>"This was the ocean with the log. And the ocean was Pacquiao. He was controlling everything, he was controlling the log. The ocean moves the log out, it moves the log in. Pacquiao mixed it pretty nicely. After five rounds, I had Bradley winning. But then all of a sudden, Pacquiao took over. Things changed. A nice mix with Pacquiao; he'd press every once in a while, and then he stepped out every once in a while and he counter-punched. Not only his hand speed, but his foot speed allowed his hand speed really to dominate."</p>
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<p><b>Teddy on whether or not Manny was "the old" Manny Pacquiao:</b></p>
<p>"No. Not the old Pacquiao. Listen, I hate to dampen anyone's parade even though I'm not afraid to, and I've done it a couple times, but the old Pacquiao, quite frankly, for me, knocks out the Bradley that he had in front of him. Bradley looked worn. Especially as the later rounds unraveled. And his legs, they looked unsteady, they looked wobbly. The old Pacquiao was stronger, was bigger, don't ask me why, but he was. And he would have been more relentless. He would have knocked him out. But having said that, a good performance, and a dominating performance down the stretch from Pacquiao."</p>
<p><b>Teddy on how much longer Manny has in the sport:</b></p>
<p>"How much longer does he has to have? I think that's the relevant and the prevalent question. Does he need to keep making money? Really? I mean, really? That's the answer. How much longer does it have to be? He's there, he can still fight fights, and he can still make big money. It's up to them when enough is enough, and he gets out before it's too late."</p>
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https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/13/5610522/pacquiao-vs-bradley-ii-results-teddy-atlas-impressed-with-pacquiaoScott Christ2014-04-13T12:21:41-04:002014-04-13T12:21:41-04:00Highlights: Pacquiao beats Bradley in rematch
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<p>Check out highlights from Manny Pacquiao's win over Timothy Bradley last night in Las Vegas.</p> <p>Manny Pacquiao <a href="http://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/13/5609612/pacquiao-vs-bradley-ii-results-manny-pacquiao-wins-clear-decision-in" target="_blank">gained a measure of revenge and reclaimed the WBO welterweight title</a> last night with a very exciting win over Timothy Bradley in their HBO pay-per-view rematch, looking something like the Manny of old against a determined, ballsy opponent who backed up his own big talk as well.</p>
<p>Here are some highlights from the fight, which blew away their first bout in terms of action and drama:</p>
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<p>Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KO) was just too good for Bradley (31-1, 12 KO), who made no excuses after the fight (he said he may have strained a calf, but congratulated Manny and sounded sincere) and took his defeat for what it was, a loss to one of the best fighters in the world.</p>
<p>Where do these two go from here? We'll discuss that this afternoon. There aren't as many great options as you'd hope for either of them, but this fight guaranteed that whatever they do next, it's going to be worth tuning in. Two of the best gave us 12 rounds, and one man was better last night.</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/13/5610488/pacquiao-vs-bradley-ii-full-fight-video-highlights-of-mannys-rematchScott Christ2014-04-13T02:44:55-04:002014-04-13T02:44:55-04:00Maybe not the 'old' Manny, but pretty damn good
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<p>Will Manny Pacquiao ever be as good as he was back when he was thrashing world class fighters? Probably not. But the man we have in 2014 is still one of the world's best fighters.</p> <p>With his <a target="_blank" href="http://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/13/5609612/pacquiao-vs-bradley-ii-results-manny-pacquiao-wins-clear-decision-in">clear and decisive decision victory over Timothy Bradley</a> last night on HBO pay-per-view, Manny Pacquiao pulled a thorn from his side, not only getting his win back from their 2012 controversy (robbery), but beating a world-class, top-level, elite opponent without leaving any doubts for the first time in what seems like a long time, at least if you think two judges having doubts about the first Pacquiao-Bradley fight counts.</p>
<p>Manny is 35 years old, and he's been through it all in the sport. He's made an incredible climb from winning world titles at 112 pounds to topping out with a (bogus, catchweight) title at 154 pounds. He's won world titles in eight divisions. He may be the most globally famous and popular fighter of his generation.</p>
<p>He's been in Fight of the Year-type epics, engaged in the sport's greatest modern rivalry with Juan Manuel Marquez, and sold millions of pay-per-views, banking a ton of money along the way. Just six years ago, the idea of a Filipino super featherweight becoming one of the two biggest stars in boxing, and a legitimate mainstream sports star, would have sounded absolutely crazy.</p>
<p>That's because it is. It's absolutely crazy what Manny Pacquiao (56-5-2, 38 KO) has done since 2008, when he ended a the year by mauling and retiring the great Oscar De La Hoya, in a fight that figured to be out of Pacquiao's depth at 147 pounds, where surely he would simply be too small.</p>
<p>Wins over Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey, Antonio Margarito, and a withered Shane Mosley followed, all of them dominant. Has Manny slowed down? Sure he has. There's no sense in arguing, at least in my opinion, that a 35-year-old Pacquiao is the physical beast he was at age 30. Time has taken some toll, and he's wearing the scars of battle that have accumulated not over just those last five years, but the last 19 spent in professional boxing.</p>
<p>He's faced the best in the world over about 30 pounds of boxing real estate, a massive undertaking. And through it all, he's been one of the best fighters on the planet.</p>
<p>Even "declining," or in the latter stages of his career, he still is. Manny Pacquiao showed with a fantastic win over Timothy Bradley on Saturday night that he remains one of the best boxers out there. Time may slow him down, but no more than it does any man. And with Pacquiao, he's so good that time has only taken him from otherworldly to great.</p>
<p>Following his sixth round knockout loss to Marquez in December 2012, Pacquiao underwent a true gut check. Was it worth it anymore? Manny's a guy with status as a national hero that no American athlete of the modern age will ever truly grasp. He's already a successful politician in the Philippines, too. He's got a family, he's got his faith, he's got a lot of things outside of the boxing ring that he can dedicate his life to, whenever he's done.</p>
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<p>There was some belief that the face-first, out-cold devastation that night in Las Vegas would be the sort of loss that nobody, even a fighter as great as Pacquiao, could truly rebound from and get back to the elite level he had enjoyed for so long. And if it had been, there wouldn't have been any real shame in that.</p>
<p>Pacquiao took time away from the sport, probably did some soul-searching, got a break from the boxing grind, and returned with a tailor-made tune-up fight in November 2013, making his debut in the budding boxing mecca of Macau. That night, he boxed circles around the gritty but limited Brandon Rios, using his speed and in-ring acumen to throttle a tough fighter who just couldn't keep up. Smile through the pain as Rios did, he was outclassed, and to a very large degree.</p>
<p>But that fight was indeed made to make Manny Pacquiao look good. Rios was coming off of a loss to Mike Alvarado that seemed to tell us that his ceiling was certainly below the Pacquiao level, and he'd struggled badly with a crafty fighter in Richard Abril back in 2012, a gift victory for Rios.</p>
<p>Manny beating up on the man some called a "punching bag" was no surprise, and though Pacquiao did unquestionably look fit and sharp, he also never pressed the issue. As bad a hombre as Rios is, if Manny Pacquiao had really put the pedal to the metal, shouldn't he have been able to stop a guy who did little more than stand and absorb punishment, while doing his best to find any opening in the trenches?</p>
<p>That's where the question of hunger and desire and motivation came from, the one that Bradley (31-1, 12 KO) so loudly declared would be Pacquiao's undoing in their rematch. After the 2012 "win," Bradley was met with a backlash so severe that he says it drove him to thoughts of suicide, as hate mail flooded in, and the world at large reacted as though Tim himself had scored the fight, or awarded himself the victory.</p>
<p>A nine-month absence followed for Bradley, before he returned against Ruslan Provodnikov, a Friday Night Fights regular and 140-pound slugger, for a pretty heavily criticized HBO main event in March 2013. What was expected to be Bradley easily outboxing an inferior foe instead turned into an instant classic, a toe-to-toe war with Bradley surviving a massive onslaught from a ballsy fighter with nothing to lose. The 2013 Fight of the Year was made harder by Bradley, who appeared to come out looking to make some sort of statement, but the pre-fight criticism was gone within the first few rounds, and as the two tore into one another like junkyard dogs going after a T-bone, Bradley got some respect back.</p>
<p>Maybe he was no Pacquiao, but he was tough, and he was good. He proved the latter more in his next outing, a fight where he out-boxed the masterful Juan Manuel Marquez, one of the great boxers of his generation, arguably behind only Floyd Mayweather and maybe Bernard Hopkins for being the best tactician and technician of his time.</p>
<p>After Bradley beat Marquez, a rematch that once seemed frivolous was a natural fight to make. Pacquiao and Bradley signed on the dotted line, the April 12 date was set (getting a three-week jump on Mayweather's next bout), and the hype cycle began.</p>
<p>Bradley supposedly got under Pacquiao's skin by saying he wasn't the same as he used to be, that his fire was gone. Pacquiao promised over and over that he would show "the old fire" again, that he would be hungry and aggressive come fight night. Both fighters didn't exactly promise knockouts, but Pacquiao hinted that his alleged "compassion" that prevented him from stopping recent opponents would not be present. Bradley said he felt he needed a knockout.</p>
<p>Both of them lived up to their words.</p>
<p>There was no mercy from Pacquiao in last night's fight, as he exhibited at least flashes of his prime form throughout the night. After an even six rounds to start the bout, Manny took over, working beautiful angles, showing strong footwork, and overpowering Bradley, who did indeed come out firing bombs and looking to make a statement, much to the chagrin of his trainer, Joel Diaz.</p>
<p>Whether or not a seventh round leg injury slowed Bradley down, it doesn't really matter. Pacquiao took over down the stretch, and as good a fighter as Tim Bradley is, he was beaten by the better man on the night. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Manny Pacquiao was better than Timothy Bradley in their rematch, and this time, the judges got it right, scoring the bout 116-112, 116-112, and 118-110 for Pacquiao, the first two mirroring the scores of BLH and HBO's Harold Lederman.</p>
<p>Before the fight, I said that I did not think that Pacquiao could really regain his old form, and that the Manny of 2008-09, when he demolished De La Hoya, flattened Hatton, and trounced Cotto, would never be back. Not because Manny Pacquiao had become a bad fighter by any stretch of the imagination, and not because he was "shot," but because time will do what time has always done, robbing our greatest athletes of their natural abilities, turning them slowly mortal before our very eyes, taking away what made us marvel at them at their very best.</p>
<p>He's not "back," because he never left. While he'll never be in his mid-30s what he was in his late-20s and early-30s, the fighter we still have showed there's a lot more left in the tank with his win over Bradley, who fought his ass off, met Manny toe-to-toe, and was just plain outgunned.</p>
<p>Pacquiao isn't in his prime anymore. And that's what makes last night's performance even more brilliant.</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/4/13/5609754/pacquiao-vs-bradley-ii-results-maybe-not-the-old-manny-pacquiao-butScott Christ