Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor
WBN Editor
‘Pacman’ faces decline claims with anything less
WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao needs a spectacular
knockout victory over fledgling 147lber Timothy Bradley this weekend to draw back
some of his previously held invincibility and stave off the inevitable aging
claims that will follow a hard-fought twelve rounder.
The 33 year-old, who is undefeated in seven years, has
failed to raise his stock since a lop-sided win over Antonio Margarito in
November 2010, when the Filipino gave away numerous poundage to the Mexican before
pummelling him for 36 minutes in Texas.
Pacquiao has since followed up the 154lb title win with a
predictable shut-out against a faded Shane Mosley and surprisingly, yet another hard-fought battle
with Juan Manuel Marquez that concluded with a third questionable outcome.
The Congressman now needs to end Bradley’s undefeated run
with a stoppage reminiscent of his 2009 KO of Briton Ricky Hatton, to bring back
the aura of invincibility that Pacquiao held up until twelve months ago.
Bradley at 28-0 and 28 years of age, is entirely new to the
welterweight division and may well come in scaling more than Pacquiao, who
usually tips the scales at 144 or 145 to retain maximum speed at the weight.
With a fight against the recently incarcerated Floyd
Mayweather still looking as far away as ever, failure to elevate his reputation
back to his once heady heights may see the eight-weight champion back away from
boxing and concentrate on his political career.
Even trainier Freddie Roach has admitted himself that if
Pacquiao looks anything like he did against Marquez last November, he will urge
his man to hang up the gloves, a decision that would leave the fans wondering what might have been
between him and Mayweather.