Bradley screams; Pacquiao swoons
This is Monday (yesterday), it’s fight week and what do we see of Vindication—the fight proper and rematch between Manny Pacquiao and unbeaten Tim Bradley—from far out here? Nothing firm, nothing sure, the promise of a stoppage remains a promise.
The strongest hint so far says there’ll be no repeat of the farcical first match, with the victory in the rematch being awarded to the proper winner.
* * *
Bradley, if he was not kidding, starts skipping the bathroom starting today for that weeklong ritual of playing the skunk in the runup to the main event.
Still, the most intriguing move from the unbeaten WBO welterweight ruler was the turnaround claim made by his trainer that Bradley is now looking forward to providing a knockout ending to the affair.
This new threat was dry and terse, unlike earlier sudsy submissions by Bradley about his alleged invincibility.
* * *
There’s no denying that Bradley, despite his clear lack of killer power, has provided the show ample color, intensity and, yes, fun.
In tearing at Pacquiao with annoying verbal blasts, Bradley, frantic and obsessive, also resembled a screaming pagan ruler who would not take no for an answer.
Meanwhile, last seen and heard, Pacquiao was far from fiery, eating heartily, taking time out to play chess and darts, a magnanimous monarch at peace with himself.
He remained unperturbed, often observed to be swooning, humming a tune. There was also scant baring of physique, a total contrast to Bradley, who never fails to flaunt his terrific Mr. Universe torso.
* * *
Naturally, there’s also a promise of a sell-out, for which Bradley should be equally thanked and credited.
There’s no question Pacquiao, tipped to triumph since Day One, will remain the favorite in Las Vegas sportsbook counters until the fight proper. Reason behind this uneven trend was Pacquiao’s edge in experience and his higher KO ratio.
* * *
It did not come as a surprise, though, when Pacquiao next decided to take back his initial pronouncement about going all out for a stoppage.
This readily fueled speculations the rematch could go the full 12-round distance. Pacquiao’s subtle submission has definitely lessened the anxiety bedeviling Bradley as they approached the countdown to the rematch.
* * *
Now hold it. As Team Pacquiao slowed down and prepared to pack up for fight site Las Vegas, Freddie Roach decided to whisper to a couple of Manila scribes a plot which Pacquiao had tried to keep under wraps.
As reported by the scribes, Roach confided that when he was alone in a corner with Pacquiao, the eight-division world title winner told him what “he’s going to do.”
“He didn’t promise me, but he tells me that when Bradley opens up, he’ll finish him,” Roach was quoted as saying.
It was not clear if Pacquiao bared the ultimate KO threat in a swoon.
