Pacquiao Plans To Impress Fans

Manny Pacquiao wants to deliver something special when he fights Timothy Bradley on 9 June.

The Filipino star intends to erase the taste of his narrow victory over Juan Manuel Marquez in November last year.

“It’s really important because, of course, everybody knows my last fight was very close,” Pacquiao said in Los Angeles.

He aims to beat Bradley by knockout, or at least put up a fan-pleasing show.

Pacquiao beat Marquez by majority decision, stretching his victory streak to 15 fights but leaving his Mexican opponent shouting “robbery”.

Adding more controversy to an already heated rivalry, two judges handed Pacquiao victory by margins of 116-112 and 115-113. The third scored the fight a 114-114 draw.

Marquez was a familiar opponent. Pacquiao had also fought the Mexican in 2004 and 2008. “Bradley is a younger, hungry fighter,” says Pacquiao.

Bradley says the bout for Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title is the start of a new phase in his career.

“This is like my first fight all over again,” says Bradley, the WBO light-welterweight champion who boasts a record of 28-0 with 12 knockouts.

“To beat the champion you’ve got to take it to the champion,” Bradley said last week.

“We are setting out to win this fight and not sit around and look pretty. I am going to take it to Pacquiao.”

Freddie Roach, who trains the Filipino, feels those comments could draw the best from Pacquiao.

“The way Bradley is going to come forward and force a fight, we’re going to see a great Pacquiao,” Roach said. “Bradley’s a tough guy, very resilient. But being a tough guy doesn’t win fights.”

Pacquiao, who drew a throng of media representatives to the Wild Card gym in Hollywood on Wednesday, promised he would not underestimate the 28-year-old Bradley.

He made light of the age difference, saying that having built a record of 54-3-2, with 38 knockouts at the age of 33, he feels much younger.

“I’m still thinking I am 25, 26 years old,” Pacquiao said.

Roach said he’d been impressed with the intensity Pacquiao has brought to his preparation.