Five Keys for Timothy Bradley Jr. Against Manny Pacquiao

Plotting a path to victory in Saturday’s rematch against Manny Pacquiao

Photo by:  Alexis Cuarezma /Getty Images /Article by Bernardo Pilatti – ESPNdeportes.com –

Two years after defeating Manny Pacquiao in one of the most controversial decisions in modern history, Timothy Bradley Jr. will get the chance to prove his critics wrong in Saturday’s rematch at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Bradley (31-0, 12 KOs), who won a split decision over Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs) in June 2012, defends his welterweight title and unbeaten record in this highly anticipated rematch. The 30-year-old says he has gained strength to go for the knockout and hopes to retire the Filipino icon. Bradley believes that his recent wins against Ruslan Provodnikov and Juan Manuel Marquez support his claims to being one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

Beyond his predictions, if he wants to beat Pacquiao, Bradley should consider the following keys:

Punching volume:

Bradley doesn’t always employ an attractive style, but he wins and has continued to do so often enough that he’s starting to look convincing as one of the best in the world. Adjustments to his style have given him more power and consistency; his wins over Provodnikov and Marquez are proof enough. Against Pacquiao, he shouldn’t change the script, except for the necessary increase in punching volume to avoid the controversies of their first battle.

Look for the KO:

Pacquiao is not his former self. His busy schedule outside the ring and the weight of the years are taking a toll. He was recently knocked out by Marquez and then pulled a clear but unimpressive win against Brandon Rios. Bradley has strengthened the power of his punch and has talked at times about going for the knockout. Trying for it only when the moment is right might not be a bad idea. Bradley’s well-timed power shots could force Pacquiao to avoid taking risks as a way to avoid ending up on the canvas.

Stick and move:

In a fight between two even combatants that threatens to go the distance, the fighter who manages to impose his rhythm will have a clear advantage in the eyes of the judges. Bradley is better positioned to prevail in this area. Setting the distance with his jab and disrupting his opponent’s quick movements with side exits should be a priority.

Beware of exchanges:

Against Provodnikov, Bradley wanted to prove to his detractors that he could win an exciting fight by exchanging power shots at close range. That was how he defeated the Russian, but the cost could have been too high, as he left the ring and went straight to the hospital because of a concussion. Pacquiao is a fighter of a higher class than Provodnikov, and in the past he has proved his ability to respond to enemy fire with his own best artillery. Bradley shouldn’t employ the same strategy of standing and trading with Pacquiao for long periods of time or his game plan might seriously backfire.

Listen to your corner:

This will be a battle of strategies in which the winner will develop the best game plan. In this regard, Joel Diaz, Bradley’s trainer, is an excellent strategist. It isn’t an accident that Bradley has come this far to join the elite group of boxing’s best. His fights have always featured strong game plans. Both victory and defeat, and credit or blame, will be in large part awarded to Diaz.

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/10760475/five-keys-timothy-bradley-jr-manny-pacquiao

This Saturday night in Las Vegas, Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley will meet in a rematch of their controversial June 2012 bout. Excitement around this fight is far greater than it was for their first meeting two years ago.

A sequel in boxing is much more often a sure thing than in Hollywood, where Part 2 tends to be a warmed-over retread of the original script.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2022604-ranking-the-10-greatest-rematches-in-boxing-history?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=boxing

Las Vegas,Nevada   —  Superstar Manny Pacquiao and undefeated WBO World Welterweight champion Timothy Bradley pose during the final press conference at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Wednesday for their eagerly-anticipated rematch, Saturday, April 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 will take place, Saturday, April 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.  It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.   — Photo Credit : Joel Colon.

http://www.boxingscene.com/photos-pacquiao-bradley-ii-final-presser-mega-gallery–76536

Undefeated two-division world champion Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley (31-0, 12 KOs), trainer Joel Diaz and Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum hosted an international media conference call from Bradley’s Palm Springs training camp on Thursday to discuss Bradley’s eagerly-anticipated April 12 WBO welterweight championship PPV rematch against Manny Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs). This will be Bradley’s third defense of the world title he won from Pacquiao in their previous fight.

Timothy Bradley: I’ve got a lot to prove in this fight. I’ve gotta prove that the first fight wasn’t a fluke. There’s a lot of things that happened in the first fight that weren’t right. This time I’ll be 110% ready.

I gained a lot of experience from my last two appearances on HBO, one in particular against Marquez, who is a great champion and great fighter, legendary, and also the fight of the year against Ruslan Provodnikov. So I’m a different fighter now, a different beast, a different animal and this time around I’m gonna prove it to the fans and everybody. The last time around I got the win but it felt like I lost because I didm’t get any credit from the fans and it’s very important to get the credit from the fans. I definitely gotta win by a wide margin.

Joel Diaz: We don’t really feel the support. Everybody goes to the Wild Card to see Manny Pacquiao train, he’s in great shape, he’s in great preparation… but nobody comes around to Tim Bradley’s gym to see how he’s doing. But in a way I like that because curiosity, it sometimes puts a little bit of fear. Nobody knows how Tim Bradley is training and he’s very ready to come to Vegas and ruin the party for a lot of people again.

Bob Arum: This rematch is special because the previous fight ended in a decision win for Timothy Bradley and a lot of people thought the decision could have gone the other way. That can be debated endlessly, so a rematch gives a definitive answer to who is the better fighter.

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/timothy-bradley-quick-quotes-240099

LONDON – Pound-for-pound ace Manny Pacquiao will be back on British screens next month when he battles WBO welterweight world champion Tim Bradley live and exclusive on BoxNation.

The world’s biggest and best dedicated boxing channel will air the eagerly anticipated rematch taking place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on April 12th, adding yet another mega showdown to its jam-packed roster.

The news comes hot on the heels following the announcement that the ‘Channel of Champions’ will also screen Floyd Mayweather’s May showdown with Marcos Maidana, which also features Amir Khan’s ring return against the highly respected Luis Collazo.

The initial clash in 2012 between ‘Fighter of the Decade’ Pacquiao and Californian Bradley, ended in much controversy with the American winning a highly contentious split decision.

Both fighters went their separate routes following the bout, with Filipino Pacquiao sensationally knocked out against Juan Manuel Marquez in their fourth meeting before bouncing back in style against the unrelenting Brandon Rios late last year.

Bradley on the other hand has grown since the pair’s first encounter, recording a win over the electrifying Ruslan Provodnikov, in the 2013 Fight of the Year, followed by a split decision victory over the Mexican legend Marquez.

Their April showdown will go a long way to answering the many questions that have arisen since they locked horns two years earlier, with the eyes of the boxing world set to be fixated on two of the very best pound-for-pound fighters when they do battle once again.

“I want my title back and I am prepared to endure my hardest training camp ever to win this fight against Tim Bradley,” said Pacquiao. “It is very exciting to be returning to Las Vegas. And as always, I dedicate this fight to my countrymen throughout the world and to bring glory to the Philippines.”

“This fight is to get the credit I did not get the first time,” said Bradley. “I must beat Pacquiao as convincingly as I beat Juan Manuel Marquez.”

“Tim Bradley is one of the toughest guys in the world and I saw that up close when he fought Ruslan Provodnikov last year,” said Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, who worked Provodnikov’s corner. “Tim looked even better in beating Marquez in his last fight. Tim is the champion and Manny and I know we have our work cut out for us to successfully challenge him on April 12.”

“This is a fight which will give us peace of mind after the controversy of our first fight,” said Bradley’s trainer Joel Diaz. “We have to win and make it clear. It’s not going to be easy for Pacquiao if he thinks he can beat Bradley. I will guarantee that.”

“At long last a competitive superfight,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “I am sure the sports books in Las Vegas are gearing up for huge two-way action.”

Pacquiao-Bradley 2 joins BoxNation’s April schedule which also features the man known as ‘The Alien’ – Bernard Hopkins – who, at 49, puts his IBF light-heavyweight world title on the line in a unification matchup with WBA Super champion Beibut Shumenov.

Plus, the exhilarating Carl Frampton returns to the ring as he takes on Hugo Cazares in a WBC super-bantamweight world title eliminator with the victor facing off against Mexican kingpin Leo Santa Cruz.

Juergen Braehmer and Enzo Maccarinelli also go head-to-head in April for the WBA light-heavyweight world title, before BoxNation brings you the stacked Mayweather-Maidana bill which, in addition to the main event and Khan-Collazo, will see Adrien Broner take on Carlos Molina and rising star J’Leon Love against Marco Antonio Periban.

Even more top action features on BoxNation with heavyweight sensation Tyson Fury taking on the sturdy Dereck Chisora in a WBO world title eliminator on July 26th.

http://www.boxingscene.com/pacquiao-bradley-ii-pay-per-view-on-boxnation–76038

By:  Eddie Alinea –

It’s all work and no play for Filipino boxing pride Manny Pacquiao in his first week at the Wild Card Gym training camp and in Los Angeles.

And it looks like the situation will be the same the next 23 days when he fights anew defending World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Timothy Bradley on April 12 (April 13 in Manila) at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

“Trabaho talaga, walang pahinga (it’s all works really, no rest),” exclaimed the 35-year-old former pound-for-pound king in reference to his fine tuning regimen that started Tuesday last week, three days following his arrival from Manila. “I can’t even play basketball anymore.”

“I already foresaw know what will happen even when I was still in General Santos for the first leg of my preparation that’s why I intentionally skipped my first day of workout Monday last week to prepare myself for the long and hard grind.”

“I started Tuesday with the conditioning segment with Justin (Justin Fortune, whom he re-signed as strength and conditioning coach) and he really gave me a helluva day that at the end of the day, all I wanted was have more sleep,” Pacquiao confessed to this writer in a long distance telephone interview.

In the afternoon of the same day, he was at the new Wild Card Gym on the ground floor of the old Hollywood sweat shop, which chief trainer Freddie Roach built precisely for his prized student’s private use.

“I’m happy that Justin has rejoined the team, he will be a great help in my preparation as he was in our first five years together, remember?” he said. “Ngayon pa lang, after only four days of working out with him, maganda na ang pakiramdam ko sa katawan ko.”

“We still have four weeks in our program, so I can’t see any reason why I can’t reach the desired results we’re aiming for,” the only man to win world championships in eight weight divisions and in four lineal categories.

Focus of the program is combining speed in his feet and hands movement and power in his punches, which the Pacman said will be the key to avenging his 12-ropund controversial slit decision loss to the undefeated Bradley and recapture the 147-pound belt he believed was robbed of him nearly two years ago.

“Freddie and I came up with a game plan aimed at mixing speed and power in this coming fight,” he said. “I will be banking on my foot movement to chase him wherever he goes and keep him off balance once I catch up with him.”

“I will force him to come on and fight in frustration and use my power to completely demolish him,” he vowed. “Bradley has often said I already lost my killer instinct and I’m already has been. Well, I’ll show him that he’s mistaken on his perception when we get into the ring.

“The fighting Congressman from Sarangani Province said that if Bradley believes I’ll be the same Manny Pacquiao, whom he fought in 2012, he’s mistaken. And if he believes what he’s been saying against me would strike fear in me, he’s again wrong.

“Everything that I have been doing in my training camp from GenSan to here is aimed at proving just how wrong his perception is,” Pacquiao stressed.

“On the contrary, he’ been driving me to work hard, train hard so I can be a better fighter that in my previous fights,” he said. “Bradley will be fighting the man who stopped Oscar De La Hoya, Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Ricky Hatton or even better.”

http://philboxing.com/news/story-93052.html

By:  Rob Smith —

If you wondered what Manny Pacquiao’s strategy will be for how he plans on beating WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley, Pacquiao revealed it in an interview this week. The strategy is simple. Pacquiao says he plans on throwing a lot of punches to force Bradley to deal a lot of incoming. Whether that’ll work or not is another thing.

Bradley isn’t someone that is going to just stand around and let Pacquiao throw 1000 punches at him in a 12 round fight like Joshua Clottey did against Pacquiao in 2010. Bradley has already said that he’s going to use a lot of movement against the Filipino fighter, and choose when and where he wants to mix it up with him.

Pacquiao said via esnewsreporting that he’s going to fight like a “Young Manny Pacquiao, [be] aggressive, throwing a lot of punches. I want to maintain my name at the top, and prove that I can still fight.”

There’s little question that Pacquiao can still fight. He proved that in whipping Brandon Rios last November in Macao, China. The thing that Pacquiao has to prove against Rios is that he can do a better job cutting off the ring against him than he did in their fight in June of 2012, because Pacquiao did a rotten job of forcing Bradley to fight. Pacquiao also did a bad job of fighting for the full three minutes of every round. He looked like he was taking long portions of each round off, and this enabled Bradley go steal the round with minimal effort in the last portions of the rounds.

Bradley is probably going to try the same trick in their rematch on April 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. We saw in Bradley’s last two fights against Ruslan Provodikov and Juan Manuel Marquez that Bradley would come on in the last part of the round to make sure that he won it on the judges score cards. That’s something that he’ll no doubt be trying to do against Pacquiao again. Bradley will likely move for 2.5 minutes of the round, and then go after Pacquiao in the last 30 seconds to try and impress the judges in order to win the round.

Pacquiao can still throw a lot of punches if he moves his feet quick enough to stay close to Bradley. However, if he lets Bradley circle in front of him without cutting off the ring, then he’ll be stuck dealing with Bradley coming after him when and where he wants to in the last seconds of the rounds.

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/2014/pacquiao-reveals-his-strategy-for-beating-bradley-im-going-to-throw-a-lot-of-punches/

Photos by Chris Farina/Top Rank –

New York,NY   —  (L-R) Superstar Manny Pacquiao and undefeated WBO World Welterweight  champion Timothy Bradley pose the New York press conference to announce their upcoming eagerly-anticipated rematch during a two-city media tour in Los Angeles and New York.  Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 will take place, Saturday, April 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.  It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.   —

http://www.boxingscene.com/photos-pacquiao-bradley-go-face-face-new-york–74412

Los Angeles,Ca.    — Superstar Manny Pacquiao arrives at Los Angeles International Airport , Sunday night from the Philippines to announce his eagerly-anticipated rematch against undefeated WBO World Welterweight  champion Timothy Bradley.  Pacquiao and Bradley will embark on a two-city media tour that will include press conference stops in Los Angeles on Tuesday and New York on Thursday.  Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 will take place, Saturday, April 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.  It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.   — Photos by Chris Farina/Top Rank.

http://www.boxingscene.com/photos-manny-pacquiao-hits-lax-arrives-los-angeles–74299

By David P. Greisman –

Timothy Bradley had largely boxed against Manny Pacquiao. He had been in a brutal brawl with Ruslan Provodnikov. And he then found a nice middle ground against Juan Manuel Marquez, fighting in an entertaining style that still allowed him to try to hit without getting hit.

Bradley’s now getting ready for his April 12 rematch with Pacquiao, and he believes that stylistically there will be differences in how he fights this time compared to how he boxed in their first meeting.

For one, he points to the injuries he suffered early in the first Pacquiao bout.

“Well the first time around, from the second round on, I was damaged goods,” Bradley told BoxingScene.com on Jan. 29. “I didn’t have my feet underneath me like I did in the Marquez fight. In the Marquez fight, I was able to show a lot of versatile things. I boxed, came forward a little bit, moved, counterpunched. I did it all in the ring, and I didn’t have that ability to do that in the first Manny fight.

“Plus this is going to be my third pay-per-view attraction,” he said. “I have gained a lot of knowledge, and I’m definitely a lot more comfortable now with the bright lights, because the lights are definitely brighter than the regular HBO fight. Millions of people are watching. People are paying to see the fight happen, so the lights are on, man.

“My nerves in the first fight with Manny Pacquiao were unbelievable. I had nerves and anxiety, and that can alter your game a little bit. So this time around, man, I’ll be a lot more relaxed. And the more relaxed you are, the better fight you’ll have.”

Bradley picked up a highly controversial split decision over Pacquiao back in June 2012. Even though he left with the official decision, Bradley is looking at this April 12 rematch as being “Redemption Day.”

“I didn’t get any credit for the first win. No one expected me to get the win. No one felt I won the fight,” Bradley said. “April 12, I’m going to prove to fans around the world and all the people around the world watching that it wasn’t a fluke the first time. I’m on a quest, man. I’m going to get what I want, and I want that win over Manny Pacquiao to be solid, and I want it to be earned. I’m going to earn it, man. I’m going to earn it April 12.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/bradley-no-injuries-fewer-nerves-pacquiao-rematch–74306

By Edward Chaykovsky –

WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (31-0, 12KOs) is relishing the opportunity to make things right on April 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, when he takes on Manny Pacquiao in a rematch of their controversial June 2012 clash. Bradley won the first meeting, with a controversial split decision victory.

Their mutual promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, was so irate over the scoring that he contacted the Nevada State Attorney General to conduct an investigation.

Since their fight, Bradley won a Fight of The Year battle with Ruslan Provodnikov and a twelve round split decision over Juan Manuel Marquez. Pacquiao was knocked out cold by Marquez in the sixth round of their fourth fight in December 2012 and then returned to outclass Brandon Rios over twelve rounds in November of last year.

“Now I’m not the little dog on the block. I’m a top dog,” Bradley said to his hometown paper The Desert Sun. “I’m a lot more mature as a fighter, as a man. I’m a little older, Pacquiao is a little older, so it’s different. I’ve had some great wins in those two years and I feel I’m more than ready.

“It’s almost like I spar someone the first time. OK, you get a few shots. The second time, it’s much easier, because I know what to expect. Pacquiao can say the same thing about me. But Pacquiao only fights one-way guys. Only one way, and that’s the Pacquiao way.”

“I think Manny Pacquiao will get aggressive until he gets hit. People are going to laugh about this, and it’s OK, they can laugh. But like I said, if I was a non-puncher, if I didn’t have anything, guys would walk completely straight through me.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/bradley-pacquiao-easier-second-time-around–74060

Image by:  Ringmagazine on Twitter /

Tim Smith –  NEW YORK – Mikey Garcia had hoped for dynamite, but he had to settle for dominance as he pounded out a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision over Juan Carlos Burgos to retain the WBO junior lightweight title at the Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Garcia looked completely unmarked after the fight. He said it was not the type of fight that he expected. He expected fireworks from a hungry challenger.

“He wasn’t engaging like I thought he was going to do,” Garcia said. “He might have felt my power and respected that. He might have decided to box and try to come out with a decision.”

Once Garcia (34-0, 28 knockouts) got his rhythm going, he just walked Burgos down and came away with a very easy decision.

Much of the electricity had been drained from The Theater by the time Garcia and Burgos got to the ring. The place had been charged up by several Polish fans who came cheer for Artur Szpilka, who was stopped on a 10^th round TKO by Bryant Jennings in the co-feature.

It was going to be up to Garcia and Burgos to re-energize the place. As they settled into a tactical boxing match with few fireworks, that seemed like an uphill battle. Garcia’s slow burn style is not conducive to the kind of instantaneous combustion the Garden boxing crowd craves.

But Burgos (30-2-2, 20 KOs) threw a brief thrill into the fans when he pulled a page from the Rocky Martinez playbook, landing a solid shot on Garcia’s chin that buckled his knees and sent the champion sailing backwards. But Garcia didn’t hit the deck like he did against Martinez. This time he steadied himself before his backside or gloves could touch the canvas, sparing himself a knockout. As he did against Martinez, Garcia remained poised and came back firing.

“It was a left hook,” Garcia said. “I caught him with a good right hand and he came back with a left hook. He wobbled me a little bit, but I wasn’t hurt.”

Burgos tried to press his height advantage. But he found it difficult to get inside of Garcia’s tight defense to land anything telling after that shot to the chin that nearly decked Garcia in the second round.  Meanwhile Garcia effectively used his jab as a range finder and landed his combinations with pinpoint accuracy. Garcia hurt Burgos in the third round with a body shot and that seemed to push Burgos into a more conservative mode.

“He probably felt my power and respected my power,” Garcia said. “I felt that as he was getting a little hurt he decided that he didn’t want to engage.”

By the seventh round Garcia was in full stalker mode, urged on by his brother and trainer, Robert. The constant pressure was draining Burgos and you could see him begin to wilt in the ring. Burgos punches had lost their snap and his feet were moving across the canvas as if there was lead in his shoes.

Entering the match, Garcia had called Burgos a dangerous fighter because the challenger from Tijuana, Mexico had come up short in his two previous world championship matches and had to deal with Garcia being considered one of the top boxers in the game. Burgos had fought to a draw against Martinez for the same title and in the same ring that he challenged Garcia on Saturday night. To add to the injury, Garcia had won a featherweight world title in the main event that night and went on to defeat Martinez by TKO for the junior lightweight title.

Garcia defused any danger that Burgos posed after that second round near knockdown. By the 10^th round Burgos was as dangerous as a toothless tiger and in the end that world title had eluded him again.

“I feel good. We did a good job,” Burgos said. “I hurt him but he recovered well. He was prepared. I know I have to work harder. He has a lot of ability. He’s fast and strong. Luck was not with us tonight.”

Bob Arum, Garcia’s promoter at Top Rank, has an ambitious plan for Garcia, wanting to move him from 130 to 135 to 140 pounds and eventually up to 147 pounds to face Manny Pacquiao. Garcia said he is comfortable at 130 pounds – this was just his second match at the weight. And he probably should stay there for at least one more fight before considering moving up to lightweight.

Yuriorkis Gamboa made a cameo at the fight, even climbing into the ring after the fight with his promoter, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson to press for a match with Garci. Garcia-Gamboa is an attractive match at 130 pounds. Now it’s a matter of whether it makes dollars and sense.

“Gamboa knows what to do. Sit down at the table and negotiate and if all parties can come to an agreement, then good,” Garcia said. “He can put on a pair of gloves and we can finish it right now. But it’s yet to be determined.”

Photo gallery / Naoki Fukuda –

http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/315161-mikey-garcia-does-get-fireworks-but-dominates-juan-carlos-burgos#/slide/1

By Keith Idec

NEW YORK — Promoter Bob Arum said Thursday that a deal is almost finalized for a Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley rematch and that an official announcement is imminent.

“We’re very, very close,” Arum said at a news conference in Manhattan for the Mikey Garcia-Juan Carlos Burgos bout Saturday night in The Theater at Madison Square Garden. “The negotiations are getting down to the nitty gritty. We hope we’ll be able to announce it sometime before the end of this week.”

The unbeaten Bradley (31-0, 12 KOs, 1 NC), of Palm Springs, Calif., and rugged Russian Ruslan Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KOs) were the two potential opponents Pacquiao was considering facing April 12 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. But Bradley beat Provodnikov in one of the most entertaining encounters of 2013, recorded a highly controversial, split-decision win against Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs) in June 2012 and is fresh off a convincing victory over Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez (55-7-1, 40 KOs), who knocked the Filipino superstar unconscious in his previous fight.

“I think a Bradley-Pacquiao fight now is much more saleable than the Bradley-Pacquiao fight was when it happened, because Bradley has shined his credentials,” said Arum, whose company, Top Rank Inc., promotes Pacquiao and Bradley. “He had an exciting fight with Provodnikov and beat Marquez. We’re dealing with a different Bradley from the relatively unknown guy who fought Pacquiao the first time.”

HBO Pay-Per-View will televise the Pacquiao-Bradley rematch. A multi-city press tour to promote Pacquiao-Bradley II is expected to be scheduled for early next month.

The first fight between Bradley and Pacquiao drew about 900,000 pay-per-view buys. Pacquiao’s last fight, a predictably easy defeat of Brandon Rios on Nov. 23 in Macau, China, and the Bradley-Marquez match Oct. 12 in Las Vegas did less buys combined than Pacquiao-Bradley I.

Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.

Article Link –  http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=73951#ixzz2rKq1nedN This is a legal waiver. By copying and using the material from this article, you agree to give full credit to BoxingScene.com or provide a link to the original article.

By Miguel Rivera –

Upon hearing the news that a deal was close, World Boxing Organization president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel was loving the idea of a rematch between Manny Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38KOs) and WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (31-0, 12KOs). The fight is being negotiated for April 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Bradley’s victory over Pacquiao was a controversial split decision in June 2012.

“It’s one of the great battles that can happen this year,” said Valcarcel to Carlos Narvaez. “The controversy of the first fight makes it very interesting, added to the fact that they are great fighters and Bradley is a great champion and Pacquiao needs no introduction. It’s a fight that can not be missed. Among the three options that were being considered, this is the most interesting. They had a rematch clause in the contract for his first fight and both belong to the same promoter.”

 http://www.boxingscene.com/wbo-prez-loves-idea-pacquiao-bradley-ii–73881

By Salvador Rodriguez –

Former four division world champion Juan Manuel Márquez gave praise to Manny Pacquiao for his comeback victory on Saturday night, when the Filipino star won a dominating twelve round unanimous decision over Brandon Rios. It Pacquiao’s first fight since getting knocked out in the sixth round of last December’s fourth bout with Marquez.

Marquez, once again, said there is no interest in a fifth fight with Pacquiao, who returns on April 12 in Las Vegas. Marquez wants a rematch with WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley.

“It was important for Manny Pacquiao to look good, so they gave him an opponent like Brandon Rios for his return and he looked impressive. I believe that Bob Arum is doing his job in getting him these types of opponents, but it will be important to see him face tougher competition and see how he looks against those kind of fighters after suffering that knockout,” Marquez said.

But Marquez was not overly impressed because he felt Rios was a tailor-made opponent who had little chance of winning. Marquez says people should not get carried away with Pacquiao’s return until the fighter faces stiffer competition.

“He never gave Brandon Rios the opportunity to connect with a solid punch , so we didn’t get to see how Manny Pacquiao [would react] after that knockout,” said Marquez. “When Manny Pacquiao fights someone with speed and intelligence, someone who counters – Manny does not know what to do or what to expect. Brandon Ríos lacks speed and intelligence inside the ring. He is a fighter who just moves forward and punches. And if you do not bring speed with you, you are going to lose against him.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/marquez-not-overly-impressed-with-pacquiaos-win–72080

By Ronnie Nathanielsz –

2012 “Trainer of the Year” Robert Garcia believes that “Fighter of the Decade” Manny Pacquiao is a top pounf for pound fighter besides being a great human being.

Garcia made the comments to Tv reporter Elie Seckbach following the dominating performance of Pacquiao over former lightweight champion Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios at the jampacked Cotai Arena of the plush Venetian Macao Resort Hotel on Sunday.

Before taking a return flight to the US Garcia said “Brandon is tough and gave him all he could handle but Manny is very smart, very quick, good footwork. He was in great shape.”

Garcia said Pacquiao was “in one of the best shapes of his career. He fought good and I’m sure he trained hard.”

He conceded that they “thought wrong that after the knockout and at 35 he can’t be as fast as he was four or five years ago but he was as fast or even faster.”

Asked on whether Pacquiao was one of the best pound for pound, Garcia replied “yes he is. Yes he is.”

Garcia reiterated what he had said about Pacquiao many times before – “he is a good person.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/garcia-pacquiao-one-best-pound-pound–72086

PHILADELPHIA, PA (November 21, 2013)—One of the most interested spectators at this Saturday night’s welterweight clash between Manny Pacquiao and Brandon Rios will be WBO Jr. welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov.

Provodnikov will be ringside at the Cotai Arena in the Venetian and he will have more than a passing interest in the bout.

Provodnikov may see a future opponent as well he will be there to support Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach.

“I made sure I was in Macau to support my friend Manny Paquiao in his big return to the ring, and I will be rooting for him in this fight.”, said Provodnikov.

http://banner-promotions.com/provodnikov-to-be-ringside-for-pacquiao-rios/

Date:  Saturday, November 23, 2013

Title:  Vacant WBO International Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios

Location:  Cotai Arena, Venetian Resort, Macao, S.A.R., China

Promoter:  Top Rank

Supervisor:  Leon Panoncillo, Jr.

Referee:  Genaro Rodriguez

Judges:  Michael Pernick (120-108), Lisa Giampa (119-109) and, Manfred Kuchler (118-110)

Result:  Won a 12-round decision over Brandon Rios.

Manny Pacquiao has insisted he will not hang up his gloves even if he loses his third straight fight against Brandon Rios later this month.

The 34-year-old expects to overpower the American in Macau as he looks to bounce back from defeats to Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez.

Bradley ended Pacquiao’s seven-year, 15-fight winning run with a controversial split decision victory in June 2012, and the Filipino great was then knocked out in the sixth round by Marquez six months later.

But Pacquiao declared he still has the desire to compete at the highest level, and he feels no added pressure to get his career back on track in his WBO welterweight title bout against Rios on November 23.

“It’s one of the most important fights of my career because I want to show my fans and the world that I can still compete at a high level with elite boxers,” Pacquiao said.

“I am expecting to win this fight. It’s a really important fight for me in my boxing career because I lost the last two.

“It doesn’t affect me. As far as boxing is concerned sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.

“I feel comfortable and confident about going on to win this fight, but I am not looking to retire if I lose this fight.

“My motivation is that boxing is in my blood. I enjoy it and I like to entertain my fans worldwide.

http://www.boxingscene.com/manny-pacquiao-if-rios-beats-me-i-not-retire–71386

Junior welterweight contender Brandon Rios is promising a fight filled with fireworks when he takes on eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao on November 23rd in Macau, China.

Your name has been attached to some of the most entertaining and impressive fights this year so far. What makes Brandon Rios must-see TV

What makes Brandon Rios must see TV?  Well everybody already knows how I fight. Everybody knows I come and fight with my heart and balls. I leave it all in the ring and there are no limits. People like that at the fights. The fans already know I will not give them a boring fight, because every single fight I have brought my exciting style of fighting to the ring. There have been fights where the opponent has not let me give the fight I like to give but that doesn’t stop me from trying. For example when I fought Anthony Peterson in 2010, I tried giving fans what they paid to go see, but he kept giving me low blows. Even with the low blows though, I still let it go and fought the way I fight. As a matter of fact the low blows just got me angrier and I came back stronger, which I think he realized because he would come back with another one.

With Richard Abril same thing, I trained for the fight hard, like I always do. Had no respect for him because of the fact he had disrespected me in Florida that same year. So that it just made me train harder and prepare myself well for the fight. When I came in to the ring, and we started fighting I noticed he kept clenching and didn’t stop. I tried to change my game plan but it seems like he wanted to slow dance the whole time. Of course I got frustrated because I am used to giving the fans a different kind of fight, not see a slow dance. I can only do so much though, because both opponents need to want to fight in order to give the fans the fight they want to see. He wasn’t willing to engage.

I now train in a way to fight different fighters, not just brawl, because at the end of the day I don’t know how my opponents train to fight me. Come November 23 I can guarantee Manny Pacquiao and myself will give the fans the fight of the year. Why?  Because Pacquaio has established that he is an elite fighter, I think I have proven throughout my professional career, and especially the last two fights against Mike Alvarado, that I am an exciting fighter. A fighter the fans want to see live. The first fight against Mike Alvarado, I remember Hall of Famer Michael Buffer said it loud and clear, “Ladies and Gentlemen after six and a half rounds and perhaps the greatest fighting you will ever see has finally come to an end.” That was two warriors going at it, Mike and I gave the fans a great fight. That’s how I like to fight, that is my style of fighting. Same thing with Rios vs. Alvarado II. People usually don’t like sequels but even if I lost to the cards that night, both Mike and myself did not let the fans down. We both fought out hearts out and left it all in the ring. That’s how it should always be, fight, fight your way to the top. Fight for your fans, because at the end of the day, the fans, whether they love or hate us, they’re the ones who pay for our sport. Us, the fighters, we have to keep Boxing alive by fighting the way the greatest fighters have always fought. Leaving it all in the ring, taking the fights the fans want us to fight. Entertain them and making every fight must-see TV, that’s what I do for my fans and my haters.

24/7 Pacquiao/Rios debuts Saturday, Nov. 9 at 12:15 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

Pacquiao vs. Rios takes place Saturday, Nov. 23 live on pay-per-view beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

http://www.boxingscene.com/rios-on-pacquiao-shot-it-fight-year–71322

Oxnard, Ca.  —  Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios with his children: (l-r)  Brandon Jr.,  Mia and Camila Rodriguez wishes everyone Happy Halloween during media day at the Robert Garcia Boxing Academy Tuesday in preparation for his upcoming world championship fight against Superstar Manny Pacquiao  Pacquiao vs Rios will battle at The Venetian Macao Resort in Macau,China and will be televised live in the US, Saturday, Nov. 23, 9pm ET/6pm PT on HBO Pay-Per-View.  — Photos by Chris Farina/Top Rank.

http://www.boxingscene.com/photos-brandon-rios-media-day-oxnard-california–71180

Foto: Chris Farina/Top Rank –

La estrella del boxeo filipino Manny Pacquiao señaló a los medios de su país que entrena “como si tuviera 20 años”, tras una mala racha, para preparar el combate que tiene el próximo mes ante el estadounidense Brandon “Bam Bam” Ríos, en disputa del título internacional welter de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB), que se encuentra vacante, en Macao, China.

“Esta preparación es más seria, más centrada. Mi mente está como si tuviera 20 años”, señaló el “Pacman” Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 KOs) a los medios de su país sobre el combate que se disputará el 23 de noviembre en Macao ante Ríos (31-1-1, 23 KOs).

“Este campo de entrenamiento creo que es una de las preparaciones más largas de mi carrera en el boxeo porque quería entrenar desde muy pronto para poder demostrar que todavía puedo estar en la élite del boxeo”, explicó.

Pacquiao, que cumplirá 35 años en diciembre y que ha sido campeón mundial en ocho categorías, intenta recuperarse después de sufrir dos derrotas consecutivas. Tras perder con una polémica decisión de los árbitros ante el estadounidense Timothy Bradley en junio de 2012, volvió a caer seis meses más tarde, el 8 de diciembre de 2012, esta vez por nocaut en el sexto capítulo, ante el mexicano Juan Manuel Márquez.

“No creo que cometiera un error en esa pelea. Si uno mira atrás, tenía el 100 por 100 de condiciones y agresividad. Pero forma parte del boxeo, acepto completamente lo que sucedió”, explicó el filipino.

El púgil se está preparando a puerta cerrada para combatir contra Ríos. Este planteamiento contrasta con los anteriores, cuando los periodistas, famosos y todo tipo de invitados asistían a la preparación de Pacquiao.

http://www.notifight.com/artman2/publish/Reporte_7/Pacquiao_se_siente_de_20_a_os_para_R_os.php

Fight fans eager for a unique inside look at the highly anticipated Nov. 23rd HBO Pay-Per-View® welterweight slugfest between worldwide superstar Manny Pacquiao and emerging star Brandon Rios should mark their calendars to catch an all-new edition of “Face Off,” starring the two prizefighters. “Face Off With Max Kellerman: Pacquiao/Rios” debuts Saturday, Nov. 2 at 12:15 a.m. (ET/PT) on HBO, immediately following a live HBO Boxing doubleheader.

Moderated by Max Kellerman, “Face Off” is an insightful and often gripping interview session in which the two fighters square off and answer Kellerman’s questions.  The fighters also get the chance to address each other and their fans in this engaging format.

The Pacquiao/Rios extended version of “Face Off” is set to air multiple times on HBO and HBO2 (schedule below).  “Face Off” will also be available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the program.

HBO air times include: Nov. 2 (12:15 a.m.), 5 (5:15 a.m.), 9 (9:15 a.m. & 3:35 a.m.), 13 (11:45 a.m. & 9:15 p.m.), 17 (11:45 a.m.) 19 (10:30 a.m. & 4:30 p.m.), 21 (1:30 p.m. & 12:00 a.m.), 22 (5:15 p.m.) & 23 (12:00 p.m.).

HBO2 air times include: Nov. 7 (10:25 a.m.), 11 (4:05 a.m.), 15 (10:15 p.m.), 20 (6:00 p.m. & 9:15 p.m.), 22 (3:05 p.m. & 11:00 p.m.), & 23 (1:25 p.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

Pacquiao vs. Rios takes place Saturday, Nov. 23 from the Venetian® Macao CotaiArena in Macau, China and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

http://www.boxingscene.com/pacquiao-rios-face-off-debuts-on-nov-2nd-on-hbo–70954

Photo by Dong Secuya /  By Edward Chaykovsky –

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum is looking at several possible options for 2014, which he plans to explore after Manny Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38KOs) vs. Brandon Rios (31-1-1, 23KOs) is finished on November 23rd in Macau, China. This match is the final bout of Arum’s three fight welterweight series of 2013, which began when WBO champion Timothy Bradley won a twelve round split decision over Juan Manuel Marquez on October 12th, and then a week later Ruslan Provodnikov stopped Mike Alvarado in ten rounds to capture the WBO title at 140-pounds.

“This is the last of the three fights – Manny vs. Rios — and a lot of it depends on who the winner of this fight will be.  There are some fantastic matches that can be made next year with these fighters.  Manny has unfinished business with Tim Bradley and that might be a good option if he beats Rios.  If Rios wins, Ruslan Provodnikov or Bradley would be good opponents,” Arum said.

“Provodnikov versus Manny, if Manny wins, would be an intriguing kind of fight.  And of course there is a revenge match-up between Manny, if Manny wins, and Juan Manuel Márquez, which would be very sellable with the Mexican-Americans – that are still heavily in Marquez’s corner – that would like to see that fight again.  So let’s see how this fight goes on November 23rd and then I’m sure everyone will sit down and we’ll work out who Manny and Brandon will fight next.”

http://www.boxingscene.com/arum-several-options-store-pacquiao-rios–70981