EXPECT THE OLD AGRESSIVE PACQUIAO
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 08 Feb 2014
Has Filipino boxing hero Manny Paquiao lost his hunger, aggressiveness and killer instinct as World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Timothy Bradley often claims?
"No," was Pacquiao's empathic retort during Friday's second leg of a two-city media tour in New York to promote his coming April 12 fight with the unbeaten American titleholder in what was a reaffirmation of an earlier statement made during the first stop of the press conference Tuesday in Los Angeles.
The 35-year-old fighting Congressman of Sarangani Province even vowed to dispel this notion, saying he was just being nice to Bradley himself when they first fought June 9, 2012 and Brandon Rios in his comeback fight last November having led decisively in both.
"I'm just too nice to opponents in the ring sometimes," Pacquiao told media men during the press confab held at the New World Stages Theater at the heart of Manhattan.
"He (Bradley) told me that I don't have the killer instinct anymore and I'm not aggressive. That's a challenge to me to bring back that aggressiveness and killer instinct in our fight on April 12. That's why I'm excited. So I can prove it to him."
Bradley's comments was brought about by the fact that the eight division champion and the only man to have won lineal titles in for weight categories has never stopped rivals he faced in four years.
The last time Pacquiao won by stoppage was when he technically knocked Miguel Cotto in the 12th and final round of a 12-round encounter November 14, 2009 in Las Vegas.
In the L.A. presscon held at the Crystal Ballroom of the entertainment world's Beverly Hills Hotel, Pacquiao promised to be the aggressor on April 12, saying, "I will throw a lot of punches at him - more than I threw against ( Brandon) Rios - and I will land them. Last time I was too nice (on him). This time, I will finish what I start."
And the former light-flyweight who rose to crown himself the world flyweight, bantamweight, super-bantamweight, super-featherweight, lightweight junior-welterweight and welterweight belt owner, indeed, looks to still have what it is to avenge his highly questionable split decision loss to Bradley and get back the 147-pound title two of the three judges robbed of him two years ago.
The Pambansang Kamao, then 33, might have been outpunched by Bradley in that showdown, 751-839 but landed 153 of those he threw folr a high 34 percent average and 94 more than the 159 the then challenger connected for a poor 19 percent.
The "Pacific Storm" threw more power punches with 493, connecting 190 of them for 39 percent as against the 390 thrown byu the "Desert Storm" with only 108 landed for 28 percent. Despite these advantages in hand power and speed, only judge Jerry Roth saw Pacquiao the winner, 115-113, while counterparts CJ Ross and Duane Ford had Bradley the shameful victor in identical 115-113 counts.
Six months following that defeat and as boxing experts, almost all of them, had also written the Filipino off the equation following a sixth round KO loss to Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao came back and nearly shutout Rios in what served as stern notice that he's still around.
Against Rios in a unanimous decision in Macau, Pacquiao was more dominant destroying the former undefeated world lightweight titlist with 253 connections of the 751 thrown. Rios had 501 punches thrown but could only land 138.
Pacquiao punished Rios in terms of power punches, 223 of them, 110 more than his dancing partner's 113.
If those numbers aren't proof or Pacquiao's capability to make true his promise, he and his handlers, led by Hall of Fame chief trainer Freddie Roach wouldn't know what is.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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