Predictions From Team TSS

RON BORGES Pacman by TKO 7. Bradley does well until he gets too bold and runs into the kind of combination Juan Manuel Marquez knew to avoid.

BERNARD FERNANDEZ Trainer Freddie Roach says any distractions from recent fights have been resolved, and Manny Pacquiao is ready to again fight, like, the Manny Pacquiao we remember. Yeah, but what about Pac Man's stirring the pot with his gay-marriage comments? I'm taking Roach at his word. Call it Pacquiao by 10th-round stoppage, but look for Timothy Bradley to have some good moments of his own along the way.

FRANK LOTIERZO What keeps coming into my head is — “a guy who likes to let it rip that has no kind of fight altering power confronting Pacquiao.” I really like Bradley as a guy who I can root for. Pacquiao will do everything in his power to draw Timothy into fighting him, and I doubt Bradley is of the mindset or measured enough to shy away from doing so. And for that reason I gotta go with Manny. Also, we know that Bradley will catch hell getting a legitimate decision, so he has to stop Manny. I can't go against Pacquiao, but he's definitely on the decline and if he lost, I can't say I'd be that surprised. The super-nova known as Manny Pacquiao is behind us regardless of whether or not he wins or loses tonight.

RAYMOND MARKARIAN The last time I saw an underdog with Bradley’s confidence Antonio Tarver knocked out Roy Jones. It was belief that led Tarver to the spotlight. He didn’t just win that fight in 2004, he told the world it will happen. Bradley doesn’t have the one punch pop of Tarver but he does carry similar swag. History tells us Pacquiao is the logical choice. He should win. Just like Jones should have won against Tarver. For the sake of the potential Mayweather/Pacquiao fight in the near future, let’s hope that Manny does. Pacquiao will be tested but he’ll win a decision. If Kendall Holt caught Bradley on the button so can Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao by decision.

KELSEY McCARSON To me, it's as simple as this: short, fast and straight beat wide and looping every time. Pacquiao has all the advantages that matter. He's faster and stronger than Bradley, and no amount of mental gymnastics can change that. I like Pacquiao big, either by wide UD or KO.
 

SPRINGS TOLEDO Bradley understands how to fight southpaws. He will move to his left to get Pacquiao into the range of his right hand. If he is smart, he will not telegraph his jab and instead use it to at once stabilize and destabilize the target. He has certainly made a study of Pacquiao’s patterns but whether his strategy will go beyond moving left and throwing right hands is the first question. The second question will be whether he can stay disciplined after he gets hit.

Pacquiao’s strategy has to take Bradley’s head-butting into account. I expect that Roach will have Pacquiao fighting a step or two outside the perimeter for two reasons —first, to avoid head clashes and second, to counter Bradley’s aggression. Bradley isn’t only a head-butter, he’s a teeth-gritter. He isn’t thinking so much about strategy as he is about imposing his will. He’s prone to lose his balance and flail with wide and winging shots. I suspect that Roach is counting on this. Pacquiao will invite his aggression and then zero in with shorter blasts that are better aimed and better timed. Additionally, Bradley doesn’t seem to realize that while Pacquiao usually moves to his left, it’s when he moves to his right that’s the real problem. That’s when his intentions turn dark.

If Bradley's posturing is a bluff and he actually plans to counter off the back foot, it will be a different fight. If Pacquiao shows him too much respect and lays off, it will be a boring fight. I’m inclined to take Bradley at his word and he has been consistently saying that he intends to hurt and “smash” Pacquiao. He has also said that he is looking forward to tasting Pacquiao’s power and thinks he can take it. He can’t. We already know that. Teeth-gritting and technical deficiencies don’t mix when you're in the punching range of an all-time great.Barring a debilitating Bradley head-butt or the chance that one of his winging overhands nails Pacquiao, Bradley will end up horizontal and out cold. Look for Pacquiao’s right hooks to do at least the initial damage; and tell Aunt Madge to cover her eyes when he moves to his right.

MICHAEL WOODS Bradley wasn't a world beat against Luis Carlos Abregu in his previous try at 147. Abre-who? Abregu. Not in Pacquiao's class. Oh, you tend to think Pacquiao has slipped, do you? Down to Abregu class? I don't. Bradley tends to be a loopy punching flailer, and no, he's not the masterful timing expert that Marquez is. Now, should I read anything in to the fact that Pacquaio's body tells us he didn't train and/or eat or what have you than he did for Marquez. He's simply nowhere near as ripped. But even that might not be bad…he's 33. Maybe that extra weight and body fight will help his durability, and keep him from getting cut and keep him better hydrated, so he doesn't cramp. Bradley has sold the hell out of this fight. I don't recall an underdog moving the pundit needle more, getting so many folks on his bandwagon, as Bradley has. Still, he's a high B fighter, and even if Pacquiao has slipped to A-, or B+, that beats a B. Pacman by legit, not Vegas-gift-wrapped, decision.

PHIL WOOLEVER Odds favoring Pacquiao should only be around 2 – 1 based on recent showings, and the result could be even closer. Everyone knows Bradley was probably chosen for this shot due to a lack of power (don't be surprised if he shows more than usual) and questionable chin, but while that will likely prove to be very good management for Pacman, Bradley's decision to skip the Khan fight shows even better guidance. Pacquiao wins ugly, something along the lines of De la Hoya against Forbes. In a result with similar coverage and deeper potential repercussions, Pacquiao-Bradley will not sell as well as Mayweather-Cotto but will come close.

LEE WYLIE Bradley by decision, he knows how to fight southpaws -positioning himself where they are least effective. Manny could be in for a very frustrating night.

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