Maybe many of us predicted a knockout in the coming title bout between WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and World Boxing Organization junior-welterweight champion Timothy Bradley on June 9 at the MGM Grand. Even Hall of Famer Freddie Roach has likened Timothy Bradley to Ricky Hatton and is convinced the undefeated Bradley will suffer the same fate Hatton received from Manny Pacquiao when they fought back in May 2009.
“I want Manny to win by a knockout, and that’s what we will be preparing for. How to win by KO,” Roach said.
“Bradley’s style of fighting fits Manny very well”. “He fights like Hatton and look what happened to Hatton when he fought Manny. He went down for good just in the second round.” Roach added.
Though Roach admitted that the undefeated Bradley is younger, aggressive, well-trained, and has a stronger chin, a fact not lost on Roach. But Roach is sure that Pacquiao will keep his 147-pound crown and believes Bradley will not last six rounds. Roach added, though Bradley is a tough fighter, he doesn’t have much power, much footwork and, certainly, not as shifty as compared to Pacquiao.
“Manny is fighting a young, aggressive fighter in Bradley, but his experience and determination to win impressively than in his fight (against Juan Manuel Marquez) will carry him through,” Roach said.
“Manny is more motivated now to win impressively since his lackluster performance against Marquez,” Roach said. “He wants to erase the stigma of that performance and reclaim his reputation as the world’s pound-for-pound king and that would be bad news for Bradley.”
Pacquiao has not had a knockout victory since demolishing Miguel Cotto via a 12th round technical knockout in 2009. Roach now wants Pacquiao to get back to his hard-punching ways against Bradley, although he admitted that he will have to prepare Pacquiao for Bradley’s physicality.
“He’s a dirty fighter, well, he’s a physical fighter,” Roach stated. “He uses his head, elbows, so forth. Manny does have some trouble with that because Manny can’t retaliate. I tell Manny that if a guy hits you low, hit him back low, but he won’t do that. So, the thing is, it could pose a bit of a problem. But the thing is, his speed and his power should be too much for him. It should be an exciting fight as long as it lasts.”
