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| World’s No. 1 pound-for-pound Manny Pacquiao trades his boxing gloves for golf clubs to play in yesterday’s pro-am tournament of the ICTSI Philippine Open. -Jun Mendoza |
-By Abac Cordero (The Philippine Star)
MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao doesn’t expect Timothy Bradley to engage and go toe-to-toe when they meet on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Truth is Pacquiao thinks Bradley will use the size of the ring to the hilt.
“Tatakbo ‘yan (He will run),” said Pacquiao yesterday at the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club where he played a round with Filipino golf star Frankie Miñoza.
Pacquiao has agreed to the terms of the fight and even though no contract has been signed it’s green and go for his return to the ring four months from now.
Pacquiao’s adviser, Mike Koncz, is expected to arrive from the US this week, bringing with him the details of the fight, and all the papers for Pacquiao to sign.
Bradley won the Pacquiao lottery after negotiations with Floyd Mayweather Jr. bogged down for the third time in more than two years.
Pacquiao also sought a rematch with Miguel Cotto but the Puerto Rican whom the Filipino knocked out in 2009 chose to fight the undefeated Mayweather.
Bradley was labeled by Pacquiao’s chief trainer, Freddie Roach, as a dirty fighter who uses his head and elbows aside from his hands.
Pacquiao thinks so, too.
“Madumi nga (Yes, he’s dirty),” said the reigning WBO welterweight champion.
“Napapansin ko nga. Gumagamit ng ulo (I’ve noticed it. He uses his head),” added Pacquiao of the WBO junior-lightweight champion from Cathedral City.
Pacquiao is 54-3-2 with 38 knockouts while Bradley is 28-0 with only 12 knockouts under his name. But Pacquiao hasn’t knocked out anybody since Cotto.
Pacquiao had gone the distance, some real tough rounds, against Joshua Clottey, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Marquez in his last four fights.
Now people are expecting him to go for the kill against Bradley, considering that he’s coming off a not-so-impressive win against Marquez last November.
“Mahirap magsabi kasi depende yan sa kalaban (It’s tough to say because it depends on the opponent),” said Pacquiao.
“Try natin (Let’s try),” he added.