Bradley taking on the Pacman in a closer fight than you may think

With “Sugar” Shane Mosley retiring this past week, the welterweight division will be looking for a long-term replacement to fill Mosley’s boots.

This weekend, welterweight contender Timothy Bradley looks to take on the might of WBO champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao. 

Not many people know much about the challenger so here is a small insight into his background.

He is the WBO light-welterweight champion and is coached by Joel Diaz as well as Bradley’s own father.

He has a 28-0 record, including victories over Devon Alexander, Joel Casamayor and the controversial Lamont Peterson.

These victories made him a genuine contender and he has chosen a massive fight for his first at welterweight.

This can act as a positive though, because Pacquiao cannot catch-weight his opponents as he has done with many of his recent, bigger opponents such as Miguel Cotto and Antonio Magarito.

Bradley’s pressurising style could prevent Pacquiao from finding his notorious rhythm, and the Californian has gotten under Pacquiao’s skin due to the perceived use of his head on the inside. 

Pacquiao looked uninspiring in his most recent fight with Juan Manuel Marquez in November, with many fight fans saying he should have lost via decision, rather than the win he claimed.

The Pacman cannot afford to have another debatable victory to go with the three that most fans think he has over the legendary Mexican.

Only a convincing win will turn the opinion that Pacquiao is over the hill, and keep the hype behind a Mayweather – Pacquiao bout alive.

The performance the eight-weight champion put in against Marquez has made it very difficult to justifiably say that Pacquiao is as good as, or better than the 43-0 American.

Their have also been numerous negative rumblings coming out of the Pacquiao camp: the fractious relationship between trainer Freddie Roach and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, the controversial comments Pacquiao made about same-sex marriage recently, and lastly the strangely-timed religious ‘enlightening’ that the Filipino has undergone.

Conversely, Bradley’s camp could not be more serene, with the fighter’s boxing and family lives intertwining perfectly in the Coachella valley.

So is Pacquiao over the hill? Has Bradley timed his fight with the Filipino perfectly? Only time will tell.

But one thing is for sure, as Bradley passionately put it on HBO’s show 24/7: “You ain’t better than me! You gotta prove to me you’re better than me!”

Adam Appleton