The third and possibly final fight between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley is all set to take place next month. But according to one boxing analyst, Bradley will secure an easy win over Pacquiao via knockout.
The fight between the two champion boxers is scheduled to happen on April 9 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena. The two first met in 2012 with Bradley emerging as the winner through split decision. A rematch then took place two years later and during the second fight, Pacquiao was able to avenge his loss via unanimous decision.
Given the results of the two fights, Pacquiao decided to take on Bradley once again to finally settle the score between them. According to the Filipino boxer, the third fight, which will be a non-title bout, will be his last, Latin Post reported.
But, for Chris Williams of Boxing News 24, he believes that aside from being his last professional fight, the upcoming match will also be Pacquiao's last defeat inside the ring. At 37 years old, the boxing analyst likened Pacquiao to an ageing lion going up against a younger one.
Williams based his predictions on the Pacman's previous performances when he fought against Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez in 2015 and 2012 respectively. He lost in both fights and even suffered a knockout at the hands of the Mexican boxer.
For Williams, the Filipino fighter's recent losses can be attributed to his age, which he expects Bradley to capitalize on. The latter, who's five years younger than Pacquiao, is expected to be the faster and more aggressive one when these two face off inside the ring next month.
Also, aside from the age, another factor that could put Pacquiao at a disadvantage is his previous shoulder injury. As Williams noted, instead of opting for a tune-up fight, Pacquiao's camp decided that he's ready for a main match against a world-class boxer despite just coming off from a rotator cuff surgery.
The analyst said that this is exactly what Antonio Margarito did in 2011 when he took on Miguel Cotto for the second time. Instead of testing if he's ready for a big fight by doing a tune-up match first, he went straight for Cotto after three eye surgeries. As predicted, Margarito lost.
Of course, these are just predictions which means anything can happen on April 9 once Pacquiao and Bradley step inside the ring.
