Manny Pacquiao (Photo : AFP/Getty Images)
Top Rank Promotions CEO Bob Arum is predicting an action-packed encounter between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley on Apr. 9 at the MGM Grand Arena.
Arum expects Pacquiao's last fight against Bradley to be a "shootout", with both fighters bound to "go after each other" from the get go, reports Ronnie Nathanielsz of PhilBoxing.
Nobody has seen Bradley spar during his training camp, but Nathanielsz reported that the "Desert Storm" would "come out picking his spots but bombing away" at fight night.
On the other hand, the 84-year-old boxing promoter was "very pleased" with Pacquiao's form ahead of the Pacquiao-Bradley III showdown. According to Arum, he has never seen the former eight-division titlist in good shape since 2008, when the Filipino boxing icon retired Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya from the sport.
"This Manny Pacquiao is the best Manny Pacquiao I've seen before the [Oscar] De La Hoya fight," Arum told Boxing Scene.
"I just saw him hitting the pads and he's using that right hand, it's cracking as good as the left and that hasn't been the case before."
Meanwhile, legendary trainer Nacho Beristain and Danny Garcia predicted that Pacquiao would appear victorious against Bradley in their fight next month. Beristain, the longtime coach of Pacquiao's rival Juan Manuel Marquez, insisted the former eight-division world champ would not walk away from the sport with a loss, "so he chose Bradley."
"I don't think Bradley will have a greater opportunity [to win], because Bradley is the same [fighter]-with that stinking, fast and difficult style," Beristain told ESPN Deportes.
"Bradley is a good fighter but we all know who will win unless Bradley becomes a different fighter than what he has shown throughout his career."
Garcia, who has guided the boxing careers of Antonio Margarito and Brandon Rios, projected a knockout for Pacquiao, who "wants to look good and impress like he was doing four or five years ago."
It remains to be seen whether Bradley really has what it takes to take the win in their trilogy, but his win over Rios last year suggests the 32-year-old American has renewed energy heading into the Pacquiao-Bradley III fight.
