Expect Manny Pacquiao to fight Timothy Bradley next

Arum turns 84 on Friday, and he’ll be using his birthday to announce the name of Pacquiao’s next opponent.

“I have said to Amir that if we don’t get this sorted in the next couple of weeks we will miss the boat for a summer fight”. Pacquaio won the rematch two years later, though Bradley has since regained the welterweight title he initially won from, and then lost to, Pacquiao. Pacquiao is on the mend now and is slated to fight April 9th of 2016.

So for the record I’d rate Bradley the most risky opponent of the three for Pacquiao and here’s why. (33-1-1, 13 KOs) and junior welterweight titlist and 2014 fighter of the year Terence Crawford (27-0, 19 KOs), both of whom are promoted by Top Rank, and long shot Amir Khan (31-3, 19 KOs), who is associated with Al Haymon, one of Arum’s business enemies and viewed as an unlikely opponent.

It’s fair to question whether Top Rank Promotions, which has a contract with both Pacquaio and Bradley, and hosts fight cards on truTV, would endorse an announcement of Pacquaio’s next fight on the telecast if Bradley were not the choice. “In addition, Bradley tore a calf muscle early in the second fight and, if healthy, the fight could be more interesting this time around”. Bradley won the first match in one of the more controversial decisions of his boxing career.

If you look at Pacquiao’s fights, he likes to face opponents that stand in front of him and trade rather than people that run around the ring, holding, shoving and putting opponents in head-locks like Khan typically does.

The Philippine Star actually has an online website and a search through it does not yield any result of such reports that confirm a third Pacquiao-Bradley fight. The WBO welterweight champion has renewed his career with new trainer Teddy Atlas in his corner.

“If Manny chooses someone else, I’ll fight Brook”. I don’t think it’s a matter of him flat out missing it. Atlas understands styles and sees the strength and weaknesses of any fighter he observes closely.

There is no interest from fans in wanting to see Pacquiao fight Bradley again, because it’s a fight that has already been played out twice.

The intriguing contest has been hampered in the past by Khan’s desire to chase super-fights with Floyd Mayweather, and more recently Manny Pacquiao. I’m not sure after getting thoroughly out-boxed by Mayweather that fighting another guy who is going to move is such a great idea.