TAKE it from Manny Pacquiao’s former foe, Timothy Bradley: Underestimate the former eight-division Filipino world champion at your peril.
“He (Pacquiao) is like the Tom Brady of boxing,” Bradley told Fight Hype yesterday (Saturday in the US), referring to the ageing yet great American NFL quarterback who won his latest and seventh Super Bowl trophy with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this year.
“Listen man, you can never count out Manny Pacquiao. He is a tough guy not to root for,” the boxer turned commentator said. “Even at 42 years old… Just his tenacity he brings in the ring, his hunger, just not sure how much he has left.
“He’s been out of the ring almost two years since Thurman, so I don’t know what he’s been doing. He’s a gifted athlete it could be his time or maybe he can rise once again.”
In what some ring pundits saw as a great risk to his reputation and career, Pacquiao announced last Saturday (Friday in the US) that he would challenge Errol Spence Jr. for the unbeaten American’s World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation’s welterweight crown on Aug. 21 in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao and Spence made announcements on their separate social media accounts in what promises to be box-office hit, with the Allegiant Stadium, the 70,000-seat home of the NFL’s Los Angeles Raiders, in Las Vegas as the possible match site.
In an interview yesterday with the Athletic’s Lance Pugmire, who used to work as a boxing beat writer for the Los Angeles Times, Pacquiao touted that he was “stronger and faster” than Spence, who remains undefeated in 27 fights, spiked by 21 knockouts.
Older by 11 years to Spence at 42, Pacquiao made the boast although he has not fought for nearly two years since wresting the World Boxing Association super welterweight title from erstwhile unbeaten Keith Thurman via a split decision on July 20, 2019 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
The Pinoy ring icon, who has a record of 62 wins (39 KOs), seven defeats and two draws, is reportedly getting a purse of $5 million (roughly P239 million) in fighting the American champ, who is considered among the best pound-for-pound in the business.
