To regain his status as the champ, Manny Pacquiao channeled his killer instinct while facing Timothy Bradley for the WBO welterweight title.
Two years ago, Manny Pacquiao found himself in a situation similar to last night. Unlike last night, he would take a widely controversial loss by decision. That loss precipitated another that would forever tarnish his image as a boxer. This go-round Pacquiao was on a mission to right his wrongs — starting with none other than Timothy Bradley.
In the first meeting between the two, Pacquiao went for a more modest approach. Instead of brawling, he boxed and — to everyone other than the judges — he was a winner. That decision prompted Pac-Man to approach this bout in a different manner. “I knew I had to do more in this fight than I did in the last fight,” said Pacquiao. And “more” he did. Although Bradley came out of his corner with a combination of youth and aggression, the determining factor was consistency. That’s what Manny had. He paired his aggression with accuracy and remained consistent.
“I didn’t want to get careless,” Pacquiao said. “I picked up more steam in the second half when I made adjustments that Freddie gave me in the corner. Bradley was much better than in the first fight we had. He hurt me on the chin.”
According to Bradley, “I have no excuses. Stuff happens. I got nothing to say about it. You can’t say nothing against Manny. I lost to one of the best fighters in the world. Manny fought his heart out.”
The decision this time would be unanimous in favor of Manny Pacquiao, the new WBO welterweight champion, who received 116-112 on two scorecards and 118-110 on one. This moves his record to 56-5-2. Bradley has now been dealt his first loss in his 10-year pro career. His record has shifted to 31-1.
-Jamaal Fisher (@jamaalfisher)
