Manny Pacquiao is reportedly deciding whether he will fight Juan Manuel Marquez or Timothy Bradley next, but he has nothing to gain from agreeing to either matchup.
Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times reports that promoter Bob Arum has set up a press conference for September 18, where it will be revealed which fighter Pacquiao will face.
Whoever Pac-Man chooses, the fight will surely be a disappointment.
Pacquiao's main focus should instead be to increase his negotiating leverage for a fight with Floyd Mayweather. He cannot do this by fighting Marquez or Bradley.
The only way for Pacquiao to get the upper hand in negotiations is to show he still has enough power to knock out an opponent—something he has not done since 2009. Another victory via a decision over a fighter he has already faced simply puts him in the exact same position he was before the fight.
Due to Marquez and Bradley’s respective styles, Pac-Man is perfectly capable of beating both fighters. But he will almost certainly have to do so via a decision.
Bradley is a slick defensive fighter who is extremely difficult to hit cleanly. He is incredibly fit and does not wear down throughout a fight.
Pacquiao executed a perfect game plan against Bradley, picking his spots for punch combinations while never getting impatient and inadvisably going for a knockout. The only part of the fight that did not go according to plan was the judges’ mind-boggling decision, which was met with cries of incompetence and corruption.
As for Marquez, the Mexican fighter has been a difficult matchup for Pacquiao in each of their three bouts, which have all ended in decisions.
Marquez is a fantastic counterpuncher, and both Pacquiao and his trainer Freddie Roach know that he poses a difficult matchup for the Pac-Man. In an interview with ESPN, Pacquiao said, “My trainer, Freddie Roach, has said many times that Juan is the only smart one out there -- the only fighter who has figured me out.”
If Marquez ends up as Pacquiao’s opponent, the fight will certainly last until the judges are forced to make another decision.
Pacquiao gains nothing for his career or his position in negotiations for a fight with Mayweather by beating Bradley or Marquez again in a decision. And that is the likely outcome for either bout. Instead, Pac-Man is better off simply waiting for talks with Mayweather to progress or for a more appealing fighter to become a available.
Read more Boxing news on BleacherReport.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment