Pacquiao: I will bring back killer instinct

Manny Pacquiao vows to bring back killer instinct. AFP FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — No more Mr. Nice Guy.

Manny Pacquiao is out to prove something to Timothy Bradley and the rest of the boxing world.

“This is a mission to prove I am the best,” said Pacquiao during Thursday’s press gathering at New World Stages in New York City to promote his April 12 fight in Las Vegas against Bradley.  “All I know is I want to get back that belt he won off of me.”

Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs) said he was “too nice” in his first fight against Bradley  (31-0, 12 KOs, 1 NC).

“It will be different now.  He’ll be talking about my killer instinct at the end of this fight,” said the 35-year-old Sarangani representative.

Pacquiao said Bradley, the WBO welterweight champion, knows he didn’t win their previous fight.

Bradley took Pacquiao’s welterweight title via a controversial split decision in June 2012 to hand the Filipino superstar his first defeat in seven years.

Still, Pacquiao complimented the 30-year-old Bradley.

“He has improved a lot since the first fight,” Pacquiao told website Sweetscience.com. “When I see him, he’s much different than before.”

Joel Diaz, Bradley’s trainer, told Boxinginsider.com his fighter has to take chances.

“He can’t move around and leave it to the judges.  We have to take risks and make it a fight,” said Diaz.

Asked if his killer instinct would translate into a knockout, Pacquiao said he doesn’t need one to beat Bradley.

“I just want to win convincingly,” he said.  “I’m ready for anything.”

Pacquiao outpointed American Brandon Rios in his last fight held in Macau in November while Bradley scored a split decision win over Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez last October.

“I’m in a different position now than I was the first time I faced Manny Pacquiao,” Bradley told Northjersey.com. “I’m a lot more relaxed, a lot more poised now. Manny said he’s going to be the aggressive, destructive Manny Pacquiao of old times. I get excited because I embrace the challenge.”

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