You like Tim Bradley, the champ?

Unlike with Manny Pacquiao, the challenger, it’s not easy saying nice things about Tim Bradley, the champion.

Not really his fault, because the restless crown claimant, in demanding respect and recognition, has also fallen madly in love with himself.

The problem is he has been having a tough time handling his wild ego.

* * *

Bradley, 30, and supposedly mature, appears incapable of reigning as WBO welterweight king with required dignity.

As a result, he would often end up behaving and sounding like a clown of the court.

He would state a definite fight plan today, then offer another route map the next day.

* * *

After he had made it clear he won’t exactly go for a knockout win, having admitted he’s not really a big puncher, he changed in a snap.

Bradley bragged in his own media preview he would get Pacquiao with a left hook.

Of course, there was no detailed explanation how he would do the incredible job.

* * *

At the same time, Bradley claimed he cannot lose because he trained a lot harder than Pacquiao, to the point of doing 10-minute rounds in sparring, with only a 15-second break.

He could only lose to Pacquiao by stoppage, Bradley stressed, then insisted Pacquiao, on the other hand, is incapable of stopping him.

Before this, Bradley had bared he would be supremely elusive and would therefore be untouchable.

He said they’ve also prepared a surprise weapon which they will bare and spring only at fight time next week.

* * *

Of course, the main reason he has been claiming victory ahead is his chronic insistence that Pacquiao has lost his original fire, his killer instinct.

He said he will follow a game plan strictly and will not succumb to pressure.

He said he’s a lot faster, a lot smarter than Pacquiao.

At the same time though, he has started to show leaks in his arsenal, if not in his melon-shaped head.

Reason: In insulting and taunting Pacquiao, Bradley has unwittingly succeeded in providing Pacquiao timely challenge and motivation to fight his smartest best.

This, like it or not, could be Bradley’s only relevance in the April 12 rematch which has shaped early, thanks to the champ’s often comic verbal assaults, as fight of the year.

* * *

(SHARP SHOT: Maybe this need not be told, but take it from legendary Mexican trainer Nacho Beristain, who plotted Juan Manuel Marquez’s shocking stoppage of Pacquiao in 2012. Beristain claimed Pacquiao would not even be needing his old fire and intensity on April 12. Pacquiao could get the job done, Beristain said, by doing the usual: Boxing sharp and smart in order to expose Bradley’s inferiority and incompetence.)