Manny Pacquiao trains inside the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California on Saturday afternoon. Pacquiao and Bradley will be fighting for the third time on April 9 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. PHOTO BY REM ZAMORA
HOLLYWOOD — Imagine a seesaw with Manny Pacquiao on top and Timothy Bradley at the bottom.
That’s exactly the situation if Pacquiao-Bradley III is going to be held Saturday (Sunday) in Manila.
Bradley is overweight while Pacquiao is underweight with their third and final fight barely a week away.
Whoever is in a better position will be known when they clash anew at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 9.
Based from their stripped to the waist poses posted in the social media and printed in newspapers, Bradley clearly had the edge as far as bulk and built are concerned.
Bradley appeared hulking while Pacquiao seemed lean.
Well, the disparity in weight wasn’t an illusion. It was for real.
Thus far, Bradley tipped the scales at 153 pounds, six over the welterweight limit, whle Pacquiao checked in at 141, or six under.
Summing up, Bradley is 12 pounds heavier than Pacquiao on Saturday. Virtually two divisions higher.
Pacquiao is closer to being a junior welterweight (140-pound limit) while Bradley is nearer being a junior middleweight (154-pound limit).
There’s no cause for alarm though as Pacquiao was dwarfed by five inches and outweighed by 16 pounds when he dominated Antonio Margarito to wrest the World Boxing Council super welterweight title in 2010.
Of course, the protagonists are expected to hit or at least approximate 147 pounds on fight night.
Question is, who will benefit from their current weights?
Definitely Bradley must start reducing immediately, by one pound a day, so as not to be accused of bungling his training with Teddy Atlas this time.
Mentored by Atlas for the first time, Bradley was at the top of his game when he stopped an off-form Brandon Rios in the ninth round last November, and he should be in an even better shape against his two-time tormentor.
Though Bradley was given the win by bum judges in their first encounter in 2012, he was largely ridiculed and derided rather than praised for the split decision.
And in their rematch in 2014, Pacquiao proved his superiority with a clear unanimous decision.
If Bradley wants vengeance he needs to cut his food intake drastically.
Pacquiao has a more convenient predicament. He needs to go through an eating binge to bulk up.
“Eat all you can,” Pacquiao said Thursday.
While it poses no grave concern, the 37-year-old Pacquiao’s weight is far from desirable at this late stage in his career.
The last time Pacquiao went under 140 was in 2009 yet, when he weighed in 138 and annihilated Briton icon Ricky Hatton in just two rounds to clinch the International Boxing Organization super lightweight crown.
Since then, he’d never gone lighter than 143, though he insists that he can still fight as a lightweight (135).
When they first fought in 2012, Bradley was also the heavier fighter, coming in at an exact 147 as against Pacquiao’s 146.
In their 2014 rematch, Pacquiao also checked in lighter at 145, just half a pound off Bradley.
For sure, Bradley will aim for the weight limit so as not to drain himself for the 12-round, pay-per-view bout.
He’s certain to make it, but there will be physical and mental strain.
So unlike Pacquiao, who will again head to Kabuki Restaurant to splurge on Japanese food after church service Sunday.
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