COMMENTARY ON PACQUIAO-BRADLEY 2 What are the plus/minuses? Let us take all things equal for the two fighters in terms of preparation and motivation. As in all other arena and physical competitions, Pacquiao and Bradley have left no stone unturned, so to speak. However, there are FOUR fronts that may be worth discussing: experience, speed, style and punching strength, where I thought, the differences lie. EXPERIENCE In his long pro boxing career, the Filipino boxing icon has fought the best of them (Dela Hoya, Mosley, Morales, Barrera, Hatton, Marquez, Margarito, Cotto) and has never backed down from a good fight. His championship battles (and what he learned from them) will sufficiently and effectively equip Pacquiao against a much-improved Tim Bradley now. Like the Miami defending NBA titleholders, Pacquiao remains the sentimental favorite mainly because he is a veteran of BIG, QUALITY CHAMPIONSHIP WARS. HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT THE PRESSURES ARE LIKE AND HE HAS THE RING SAVVY TO WEATHER THEM. There is not much to compare for the 30-year old champ. He has been underestimated all throughout his (unblemished) career. He is still smarting from the media pronouncements arising out of that very controversial split-decision win two years ago. His consequent victories against a Russian (whose name escaped me while writing this) and an aging JuanMa Marquez do not conclusively weigh enough to declare that he would beat Pacquiao convincingly this time around. Altho, I may quick to add that, those twin wins have added ring scars that quite enriched Bradleys limited wealth of championship experience. SPEED Certainly, Pacquiao is faster with his punches and his movements inside the ring. Bradley appears to have increased in bodily heft which will slow him down considerably. This means Pacquiao will outpace his opponent. STYLE I am inclined to believe that a DIFFERENT MANNY PACQUIAO will go up the ring on fight night tomorrow. His coach Freddie Roach has amply reminded him of his deficiencies the first time around. From Round One onwards, the Pambansang Kamao will have to be more aggressive, take the fight to his enemy and catch him off guard. He cannot afford to give Bradley even the slightest initiative. The strategy is to entice the American to engage - toe to toe - not to fight from a distance. Ergo, the moment the bell rings, Pacquiao must impress on his foe that he is out to KO him anytime at any round. Observe that Bradley has this wait-see stance because he is a counter-puncher. But the moment he realizes he is on a losing position, he will take a more aggressive attacking style to recover lost ground. A brawl is what the Pacman awaits. PUNCHING STRENGTH. Their individual records speak for themselves. All Pacquiao needs to put his opponent to sleep is the same wicked punch he gifted Englishman Ricky Hatton years ago. Outside of these realms, Manny Pacquiao has more on the line. 1. He has everything to lose and everything to gain. Ergo, this fight must end conclusively in his favor. If he loses, his ring attraction will gradually diminish as well as his purse. It could even precipitate urgent calls for his retirement. 2. Politically, it will rev up his political engines (without really trying) to roar and rise in the Philippine firmament where he is expected to run for the senate in 2016. A sorry loss could dampen his national ambitions. 3. The Pacman has prepared well. I saw and watched him personally twice during his training sessions at his own Wild Card physical fitness gym in GenSan. There is no iota of doubt he is a hundred percent mentally-focused. 4. His strong spiritual beliefs give him an armor of faith in his battles ahead. He said, quoting the Bible: If God is with us, who can be against us? 5. I pray that Pacquiao climbs up the ring bearing no concerns on the domestic front. He must be like a horse wearing blinders to keep his eyes on the road. Nobody outside of Roach, trainer Buboy Fernandez and Arum must be allowed to come near him on the eve of the fight and up to fight time. This include snooping guests. Your comments are most welcome. Thank you.
Posted on: Sat, 12 Apr 2014 03:56:03 +0000
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