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Who's Hyped About Pacquiao-Bradley?
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(photo by Chris Farina-Top Rank)
He is no mere mortal. He is Manny Pacquiao, the king of the ring and the sultan of swagger, by boxing’s standards at least. He has won more division titles than pretty much anyone ever. He’s coming off one of the most impressive fifteen-fight runs in the history of the sport, and he’s facing Timothy Bradley, an undefeated, prime and gritty championship-level opponent, in what is sure to be one of the biggest boxing events of the year.
And I can’t help it. I…just…don’t…care. Okay, okay I do care (I’m a boxing writer after all), but I assure you it isn’t as much as I wish. Let’s do a bit of root cause analysis to see if we can ascertain why.
Maybe it’s because no matter what happens in this fight, it most assuredly won’t be as big of a fight as the one we just saw when Floyd Mayweather decisioned Miguel Cotto in May. Nothing’s bigger in boxing than Cinco de Mayo, right? And if anyone has a bigger name in boxing than Manny Pacquiao, it’s Floyd Mayweather.
Still, there’s more to it than that. Mayweather and Pacquiao are equal buzz generators for me, so it must come down to the opponents. In his own right, Miguel Cotto is a superstar, too. Minimally he’s much bigger of an attraction at this point in his career than Bradley, and, more than likely, he will carry with him when he retires a greater historical significance judging by his desire to take big fights against top opponents at the right time. Miguel Cotto has a legion of admirers, all who make his fights against other PPV box office superstars buzz-generating bonanzas.
Or maybe it’s because no matter how great a battle this fight may actually turn out to be when the bell rings (and I have my doubts), I’ll still be thinking about all that it won’t be. It won’t be Pacquiao versus Mayweather, the massively significant bout I’m frankly sick of pining for.It won’t be Pacquiao against someone who’s favored against him, no matter what your favorite, trend-hopping boxing journalist might say, and it won’t be a battle of two of the best fighters of all-time. And no matter who I want to blame, be it Mayweather for not agreeing to the 50/50 split, or Pacquiao for not agreeing to a 40 million dollar guaranteed purse, or Bob Arum for just being Bob Arum, or Ms. Jackson for apparently not having a first name – I DON”T CARE I JUST WANT THE FIGHT – the Fight of the Century isn’t happening. Again.
Who knows? Maybe it’s just the fight itself. Look, Timothy Bradley is a world class fighter. He’s won titles in the junior welterweight division and has beaten some top notch guys along the way, but when exactly did Bradley become elite status? Did I miss something? Sure, he’s a tough, well-skilled and aggressive competitor who is sure to come to fight, but is anyone filling out their top ten pound-for-pound lists giving him serious consideration for a spot in their top three? Top five?
I’ll admit it: Bradley is one tough dude. He reminds me a bit of Marvin Hagler in that way — not in fighting style so much as his demeanor.He is the type of guy who looks right through other people — the type of guy who’s been successful exactly because of his indomitable will and no-nonsense approach. It’s commendable for sure and should help propel him to an excellent career, but is Bradley any more impressive to this point than Ricky Hatton was before he faced Pacquiao? Moreover, didn’t Hatton seem to have more pop in his fists and an even rougher, tougher style than Bradley?
For all the talk of Pacquiao’s so-called lackluster tussle with nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez last time out, you’d think Marquez was some bum off the street. No, Marquez is a historically great champion who has given Manny tough fights every one of their three encounters. Marquez is adept at the things one has to be in order to be successful against a fighter like Pacquiao. He has superior boxing skills augmented by inexplicable timing, and he’s probably one of the best combination punchers in the history of the sport. For all the things Timothy Bradley is good at, none of them seem to be of the Marquez variety.
Styles make fights, and Bradley doesn’t have the style to beat Pacquiao, at least not in my eyes. Bradley can’t outbox the faster, more accurate Pacquiao from the outside, so coming right to Manny (one way or another) will be his only option. He’ll need to take as little punishment as possible, land what he wants to land and then wrestle Pacquiao around the ring to keep him from teeing off. Unfortunately, doing something like that against a fighter like Pacquiao is much easier said than done, and using a style like that requires real pop – the kind of power Bradley’s twelve knock-outs in twenty-eight fights doesn’t lead me to believe he has.
Prediction – As we get closer and closer to Saturday night’s fight (where I expect Pacquiao’s speed and power to allow him to win handily), I somehow get much more intrigued about the fight than I am now, even going so far as to convince myself that Bradley has as much of a chance as trendsetting journalists and twitter analysts would have you believe. Ultimately, of course, I come to my senses, call it for what it is and still enjoy the fight anyways, because hey – it’s boxing.
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Ringside at the Cosmo: Pacheco Outpoints Nelson plus Undercard Results
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Ringside at the Cosmo: Pacheco Outpoints Nelson plus Undercard Results
LAS VEGAS, NV – Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Promotions was at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas tonight for the second half of a DAZN doubleheader that began in Nottingham, England. In the main event, Diego Pacheco, ranked #1 by the WBO at super middleweight, continued his ascent toward a world title with a unanimous decision over Steven Nelson.
Pacheco glides round the ring smoothly whereas Nelson wastes a lot energy with something of a herky-jerky style. However, although Nelson figured to slow down as the fight progressed, he did some of his best work in rounds 11 and 12. Fighting with a cut over his left eye from round four, a cut that periodically reopened, the gritty Nelson fulfilled his promise that he would a fight as if he had everything to lose if he failed to win, but it just wasn’t enough, even after his Omaha homie Terence “Bud” Crawford entered his corner before the last round to give him a pep talk (back home in North Omaha, Nelson runs the B&B (Bud and Bomac) Sports Academy.
All three judges had it 117-111 for Pacheco who mostly fought off his back foot but landed the cleaner punches throughout. A stablemate of David Benavidez and trained by David’s father Jose Benevidez Sr, Pacheco improved to 23-0 (18). It was the first pro loss for the 36-year-old Nelson (20-1).
Semi wind-up
Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz, who as a pro has never fought a match slated for fewer than 10 rounds, had too much class for Hermosillo, Mexico’s rugged Omar Salcido who returned to his corner with a puffy face after the fourth stanza, but won the next round and never stopped trying. The outcome was inevitable even before the final round when Salcido barely made it to the final gun, but the Mexican was far more competitive than many expected.
The Cuban, who was 4-0 vs. Keyshawn Davis in closely-contested bouts as an amateur, advanced his pro record to 5-0 (2), winning by scores by 99-91 and 98-92 twice. Salido, coming off his career-best win, a 9th-round stoppage of former WBA super featherweight title-holder Chris Colbert, falls to 20-2.
Other TV bouts
Ernesto “Tito” Mercado, a 23-year-old super lightweight, aims to become the next world champion from Pomona, California, following in the footsteps of the late Richie Sandoval and Sugar Shane Mosely, and based on his showing tonight against former Beijing Olympian and former two-division title-holder Jose Pedraza, he is well on his way.
After three rounds after what had been a technical fight, Mercado (17-0, 16 KOs) knocked Pedraza off his pins with an overhand right followed by short left hand. Pedraza bounced back and fell on his backside. When he arose on unsteady legs, the bout was waived off. The official time was 2:08 of round four and the fading, 35-year-old Pedraza (29-7-1) was saddled with his third loss in his last four outings.
The 8-round super lightweight clash between Israel Mercado (no relation to “Tito”) and Leonardo Rubalcava was fan-friendly skirmish with many robust exchanges. When the smoke cleared, the verdict was a majority draw. Mercado got the nod on one card (76-74), but was overruled by a pair of 75-75 scores.
Mercado came out strong in the opening round, but suffered a flash knockdown before the round ended. The referee ruled it a slip but was overruled by replay operator Jay Nady and what would have been a 10-9 round for Mercado became a 10-8 round for Rubalcava. Mercado lost another point in round seven when he was penalized for low blows.
The scores were 76-74 for Mercado (11-1-2) and 75-75 twice. The verdict was mildly unpopular with most thinking that Mercado deserved the nod. Reportedly a four-time Mexican amateur champion, Rubalcava (9-0-1) is trained by Robert Garcia.
Also
New Matchroom signee Nishant Dev, a 24-year-old southpaw from India, had an auspicious pro debut (pardon the cliché). Before a beaming Eddie Hearn, Dev stopped Oakland’s Alton Wiggins (1-1-1) in the opening round. The referee waived it off after the second knockdown.
Boxers from India have made large gains at the amateur level in recent years and Matchroom honcho Eddie Hearn anticipates that Dev, a Paris Olympian, will be the first fighter from India to make his mark as a pro.
Undefeated Brooklyn lightweight Harley Mederos, managed by the influential Keith Connolly, scored his seventh knockout in eight tries with a brutal third-round KO of Mexico’s Arturo de Isla.
A left-right combination knocked de Isla (5-3-1) flat on his back. Referee Raul Caiz did not bother to count and several minutes elapsed before the stricken fighter was fit to leave the ring. The official time was 1:27 of round three.
In the opener, Newark junior lightweight Zaquin Moses, a cousin of Shakur Stevenson, improved to 2-0 when his opponent retired on his stool after the opening round.
Photo credit: Melina Pizano / Matchroom
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Najee Lopez Steps up in Class and Wins Impressively at Plant City
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Garry Jonas’ ProBox series returned to its regular home in Plant City, Florida, tonight with a card topped by a 10-round light heavyweight match between fast-rising Najee Lopez and former world title challenger Lenin Castillo. This was considered a step-up fight for the 25-year-old Lopez, an Atlanta-born-fighter of Puerto Rican heritage. Although the 36-year-old Castillo had lost two of his last three heading in, he had gone the distance with Dimitry Bivol and Marcus Browne and been stopped only once (by Callum Smith).
Lopez landed the cleaner punches throughout. Although Castillo seemed unfazed during the first half of the fight, he returned to his corner at the end of round five exhibiting signs of a fractured jaw.
In the next round, Lopez cornered him against the ropes and knocked him through the ropes with a left-right combination. Referee Emil Lombardo could have stopped the fight right there, but he allowed the courageous Castillo to carry on for a bit longer, finally stopping the fight as Castillo’s corner and a Florida commissioner were signaling that it was over.
The official time was 2:36 of round six. Bigger fights await the talented Lopez who improved to 13-0 with his tenth win inside the distance. Castillo declined to 25-7-1.
Co-Feature
In a stinker of a heavyweight fight, Stanley Wright, a paunchy, 34-year-old North Carolina journeyman, scored a big upset with a 10-round unanimous decision over previously unbeaten Jeremiah Milton.
Wright carried 280 pounds, 100 pounds more than in his pro debut 11 years ago. Although he was undefeated (13-0, 11 KOs), he had never defeated an opponent with a winning record and his last four opponents were a miserable 19-48-2. Moreover, he took the fight on short notice.
What Wright had going for him was fast hands and, in the opening round, he put Milton on the canvas with a straight right hand. From that point, Milton fought tentatively and Wright, looking fatigued as early as the fourth round, fought only in spurts. It seemed doubtful that he could last the distance, but Milton, the subject of a 2021 profile in these pages, was wary of Wright’s power and unable to capitalize. “It’s almost as if Milton is afraid to win,” said ringside commentator Chris Algieri during the ninth stanza when the bout had devolved into a hugfest.
The judges had it 96-93 and 97-92 twice for the victorious Wright who boosted his record to 14-0 without improving his stature.
Also
In the TV opener, a 10-round contest in the junior middleweight division, Najee Lopez stablemate Darrelle Valsaint (12-0, 10 KOs) scored his career-best win with a second-round knockout of 35-year-old Dutch globetrotter Stephen Danyo (23-7-3).
A native Floridian of Haitian descent, the 22-year-old Valsaint was making his eighth start in Plant City. He rocked Danyo with a chopping right hand high on the temple and then, as Danyo slumped forward, applied the exclamation point, a short left uppercut. The official time was 2:17 of round two.
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Japanese Superstar Naoya Inoue is Headed to Vegas after KOing Ye Joon Kim
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Japan’s magnificent Naoya Inoue, appearing in his twenty-fourth title fight, scored his 11th straight stoppage tonight while successfully defending his unified super bantamweight title, advancing his record to 29-0 (26 KOs) at the expense of Ye Joon Kim. The match at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena came to an end at the 2:25 mark of round four when U.S. referee Mark Nelson tolled “10” over the brave but overmatched Korean.
Kim, raised in a Seoul orphanage, had a few good moments, but the “Monster” found his rhythm in the third round, leaving Kim with a purplish welt under his left eye. In the next frame, he brought the match to a conclusion, staggering the Korean with a left and then finishing matters with an overhand right that put Kim on the seat of his pants, dazed and wincing in pain.
Kim, who brought a 21-2-2 record, took the fight on 10 days’ notice, replacing Australia’s Sam Goodman who suffered an eye injury in sparring that never healed properly, forcing him to withdraw twice.
Co-promoter Bob Arum, who was in the building, announced that Inoue’s next fight would happen in Las Vegas in the Spring. Speculation centers on Mexico City’s Alan Picasso (31-0-1, 17 KOs) who is ranked #1 by the WBC. However, there’s also speculation that the 31-year-old Inoue may move up to featherweight and seek to win a title in a fifth weight class, in which case a potential opponent is Brandon Figueroa should he defeat former Inoue foe Stephen Fulton next weekend. In “olden days,” this notion would have been dismissed as the Japanese superstar and Figueroa have different promoters, but the arrival of Turki Alalshikh, the sport’s Daddy Warbucks, has changed the dynamic. Tonight, Naoya Inoue made his first start as a brand ambassador for Riyadh Season.
Simmering on the backburner is a megafight with countryman Junto Nakatani, an easy fight to make as Arum has ties to both. However, the powers-that-be would prefer more “marination.”
Inoue has appeared twice in Las Vegas, scoring a seventh-round stoppage of Jason Moloney in October of 2020 at the MGM Bubble and a third-round stoppage of Michael Dasmarinas at the Virgin Hotels in June of 2021.
Semi-wind-up
In a 12-round bout for a regional welterweight title, Jin Sasaki improved to 19-1-1 (17) with a unanimous decision over Shoki Sakai (29-15-3). The scores were 118-110, 117-111, and 116-112.
Also
In a bout in which both contestants were on the canvas, Toshiki Shimomachi (20-1-3) edged out Misaki Hirano (11-2), winning a majority decision. A 28-year-old Osaka southpaw with a fan-friendly style, the lanky Shimomachi, unbeaten in his last 22 starts, competes as a super bantamweight. A match with Inoue may be in his future.
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