Stop Complaining Already: Manny Pacquiao – Timothy Bradley III is a Solid Matchup!

By Andrew “Drew The Picture” Hames

Many great things in life have come in threes, ranging anywhere from the Holy Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, to, the multi-faceted embodiment of ice, water and steam, to Jack Tripper’s lifestyle in “Three’s Company”, etc. Then again, death is also said to come in threes, and both the sport of baseball and the judicial system alike have employed the “three-strike rule”. So go figure.

It appears that April 9th, at the MGM Grand, yet another item represented by the number #3 will be open to interpretation, when 8-division champion, Congressman and future Hall Of Fame entrant Manny Pacquiao looks to return to the ring in a rubber match against former 2-division world champion Timothy Bradley, in what Pacquiao claims will be the final fight of his career.
While making the Bradley series a trilogy may not have been the absolute worst possible selection for Manny’s last hurrah, public feedback from the announcement of the bout has been filled with so much criticism, disappointment and question marks that Top Rank promoter Bob Arum himself has went on record declaring that he expects a drop-off in PPV buys, and Bradley himself previously stated a non-desire to stretch out the series, preferring to even move up and face Miguel Cotto instead in search of a new challenge, while Manny initially refused all fight offers in hope of a rematch with his recently retired rival and conqueror, Floyd Mayweather, JR.

One tell-tale sign that the powers that be are at work is when both combatants have mentioned their mutual desires to face other opponents. How excited should fight fans be to see a fight between two guys who’ve openly declared not wanting to fight each other in the first place? One might also question how the fight is being held once again at the MGM Grand, especially after Bob Arum repeatedly slandered the venue in favor of the Venetian in Macau, China, where he’s shipped his cash cow for many of his most recent fights.

Among the magnificent 3’s surrounding this fight are also the number of previously projected opponents public expectation was led to believe most likely to share the ring with the Filipino icon in his final showing, namely being rising star Terence Crawford, British superstar and former Wildcard Gym partner Amir Khan, and controversial current junior welterweight champion, Adrien “The Problem” Broner. One could argue that all 3 at least have offered Manny and his fans a fresh matchup to get excited over. Of course, it can also be reasonably argued that trilogies and rivalries in general have been largely responsible for Manny’s climb to superstardom to begin with, from the Erik Morales trilogy, to the rivalry with Marco Antonio Barrera, the 4-fight saga with Juan Manuel Marquez, and now extending his rivalry with Bradley to the trio mark.

There are considerable upsides to this fight as well, to be fair. There’s always the justice of a rubber match, with Bradley contending that he won their initial fight, an opinion ringside judges concurred with, but was met with considerable “Biggest robbery in history” talk, immediately calling for government involvement in fight scoring. And barring any foot injuries recurring on Bradley’s erratic Manny-feet, or sudden shoulder injuries, both sides should get a chance to officially settle the score this time, without the undue controversy from either side thereafter.

Then of course, there’s Bradley’s apparent improvements thus far under legendary trainer and long-time television analyst Teddy Atlas. Bradley shocked all boxing fans alike in suddenly developing the punching power to stop proverbial tough guy Brandon Rios in his last outing, and if anyone could devise the ideal “Fight Plan” for Bradley, it’s the guy who’s famously done so on ESPN “Friday Night Fights” for years now.

Then there’s also the general chance to see how Manny looks returning to the ring after his loss in the “Fight Of The Century” with Floyd, and after reported rehabilitation for his alleged shoulder injury that further tainted the May 2, results. A dominant Manny victory will score him one last supremacy over a rival opponent, and perhaps even one more rivalry, should he and Floyd decide to have another hotel meeting one day. A Manny loss would only further the talk of Manny no longer being the same, and he’ll be forgiven and allowed to return to the Sarangani Province no less the idol he was when he left. Talk about a win-win situation. Arum’s BS notwithstanding, expect a great effort from both fighters, and historical significance one way or the other on April 9th….
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