PACQUIAO'S NEXT OPPONENT: BRADLEY OR CRAWFORD?
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 09 Dec 2015
Manny Pacquiao will fight his last opponent on April 9, 2016 exactly one month before the national and local elections on May 9, 2016. Pacquiao was consistently within the top 12 senatorial candidates according to the surveys of the Social Weather Station and Pulse Asia.
He promised to concentrate on his job as Senator of the Republic if elected as such. He decided to hang up his gloves after his final ring appearance to focus on his work as a national legislator.
The multi-million dollar question is who will be Pacquiao's last opponent come April 9? A rematch with Floyd Mayweather was out of the question because the former pound-for-pound king decided to enjoy his retirement with nothing more to prove himself.
Amir Khan, a former Freddie Roach protege, was negotiating a Pacquiao fight but will end up fighting IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook. He could not wait for Pacquiao to declare his next combatant. Besides promoter Bob Arum wanted a Top Rank fighter in Pacman's finale while Khan was not.
ESPN's Dan Rafael reported that Pacquiao's foe will be formally announced on TruTV's "Friday Night Knockout" episode in San Juan , Puerto Rico featuring Nonito Donaire vs. Cesar Juarez on Friday, December 11, 2015. The probable choices are Timothy Bradley and Terence Crawford.
Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KO's) defeated the Filipino boxing icon in what was considered as one of boxing's largest controversy. It was later resolved in a rematch which resulted to a resounding Pacquiao victory. If it would be Bradley, the current WBO welterweight champion, who will be named on Friday, then another trilogy would be realized.
Crawford with an unblemished record of 27-0-0 with 19 KO's is the current WBO junior welterweight champion and rated No.6 by The Ring pound-for-pound while Pacquiao is at No. 7. He was a former WBO and The Ring lightweight champion.
"I think Crawford has a very good chance of beating Manny Pacquiao," Bradley was quoted by BoxingScene. "We don't know how Pacquiao is going to come back."
Bradley is even more excited to face the Filpino boxing icon and is more confident of victory this time with a new trainer in Teddy Atlas.
?With a new trainer, it?ll be a whole different Tim Bradley. Teddy has done so much for Tim ? people might think they?ve seen the best Tim Bradley. They haven?t yet," said Monica, Bradley's wife and manager in Los Angeles Times.
Both Bradley and Crawford like Pacquiao are under contract by Top Rank, so it would easier to negotiate under the same promoter and profits could be maximized. Both boxers are expected to be in Puerto Rico when the announcement will be made.
Pacquiao (57-6-2), who will turn 37 on December 17, wants a final bout that would have a big impact in the world of boxing, unlike Floyd Mayweather's last pro fight with Andre Berto.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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