Boxing promoter Top Rank has officially announced the much-rumored next fight for superstar Manny Pacquiao. On April 12, live on PPV, it will be Manny Pacquiao vs. Timothy Bradley 2. Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 will take place live at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 12, and will be available through HBO PPV.
This has been the rumored next fight for Pacquiao for some time, and honestly, it’s the fight that makes the most sense. Pacquiao and Bradley first met in June 2012. At that time, Bradley was the heavy underdog, while Pacquiao was right next to Floyd Mayweather in the sport’s top spot. Bradley “won” that fight via decision, though as any fan can tell you, Manny Pacquiao rightfully won the fight. The controversial decision seemed to lead to an obvious immediate rematch, but instead, some time passed.
Much has changed in the near two year gap. Pacquiao was badly knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez, leading many to question his future in the sport. He then bounced back with a dominating win over Brandon Rios to reestablish himself. Bradley took time off, did some soul-searching, and came back better then ever, defeating Ruslan Provodnikov in the Fight of the Year for 2013, then Juan Manual Marquez last fall. It was an incredible year for Bradley, who topped a number of Fighter of the Year lists.
The result is that Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 is no longer “Pacquiao vs. this event’s challenger.” Bradley has firmly established himself as a top fighter, and this should be a close, hard to call contest.
Join Bloody Elbow in the coming weeks for plenty of coverage leading up to Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2, live on PPV, Saturday, April 12.
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