Bradley sets to ‘kick’ Pacquiao out

Is time Bradley out to do everything, including the unacceptable, in order to ensure a win over Manny Pacquiao?

Maybe. Listen, please.

In a boxing duel where combatants normally rely on the power and speed of their hands, Bradley has vowed to turn to his feet.

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“My footwork will win this fight for me, and my defense, too,” stated the undefeated WBO welterweight title owner, he with a hairless melon-shaped head which he had also used to butt opponents.

Bradley made that startling pronouncement to Bev Llorente of ABS-CBN (North America) in a story posted from El Indio, California, on Tuesday.

Bradley added: “I have speed. Pacquiao hasn’t fought anybody with the same speed he has. He is quick, but I am quick, too. I am also smarter than he is.”

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OK, Bradley will use his feet to win.

If it’s a Thai boxing crown they would be disputing in Las Vegas next month, that threat by Bradley would indeed be worth a worry on Pacquiao’s part.

Problem (for Bradley) is that, in conventional boxing, the feet are principally used to step away or escape from harm, mainly through lateral moves or back-pedaling.

Bradley also knows what he’ll be up against.

“Pacquiao is sure gonna bring the pressure on me, but it’s not gonna work,” he said.

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In their first encounter two years ago, Pacquiao pushed for an early KO, but Bradley escaped by running away in the first six rounds.

In the remaining rounds, Pacquiao had been observed to fade and tire out, thereby conserving energy as Bradley threw insignificant light combinations that ultimately gave judges the chance to cheat Pacquiao.

All told, the rematch should boil down to a chasing contest, with Pacquiao again needing extra gas to carry out frantic orders for a sensational knockout.

By the way, Bradley appears ahead in the conditioning race, with Pacquiao—hobbled down by jet lag in his first day at the gym in Hollywood—visibly on a cram.

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Just the same, if Bradley has not discovered an unconventional new use for his feet, his threat to “kick” Pacquiao out pales out as hollow if not downright dumb.

With Freddie Roach confident Pacquiao would again be fierce and fearless as the Pacific Storm of old, there’s a growing likelihood on how Bradley would be honestly served by his splendid footwork.

Maybe Bradley could also use his feet to sweep the floor, the better to prepare for a neat landing fall?

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(COMMEMORATIVE CYCLING: Bayambang, Pangasinan, birthplace of Gerry Lacuesta, founder of the Tour of Luzon and considered the father of  professional cycling in the country, will celebrate its 400th founding anniversary on March 16, to be highlighted by a one-day 190-km (pro-am) bike race. The event has been organized by Bayambang chief executive Ricardo Camacho).