Ellerbe: Broner Beating Pacquiao is No Upset, This is 50-50 Fight

By Ryan Burton

LAS VEGAS - Many people feel it is a foregone conclusion that Manny Pacquiao will defeat Adrien Broner on Saturday.  They will collide at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on the Las Vegas strip in the headlining bout of a Showtime distributed pay-per-view-event.

Mayweather Promotions' CEO Leonard Ellerbe is one of the lead promoters of the card and he believes that the fight will be much closer than many experts think.

"I am telling y'all, this Manny-Broner fight is going to be much more competitive than what people think it is. Say what you want about Broner and all the criticism he has gotten in the past, he has deserved it. Again, I have mentioned that a lot of it has been self inflicted but when you have this type of opportunity which is essentially an opportunity of a lifetime, he can immediately change the course of the way his career has gone thus far with a win over Manny Pacquiao," Ellerbe recently told BoxingScene.com.

In Ellerbe's eyes it wouldn't be a surprise if Broner emerges victorious.  He feels that the fight can go either way.

"Honestly I think he has a very good chance. I am not even going to call it an upset. I think most people and the way most fans and experts kind of have it is 60-40 but the way I see it is a 50-50 fight. I kind of favor Broner," Ellerbe explained.

As for the talk that at 40-years-old Pacquiao has lost a step, Ellerbe doesn't believe that is the case either. Ellerbe said that Pacquiao is still an elite athlete who has do a good job of taking care of himself and he believes that the winner on Saturday night will be one of the elite fighters in the world.

"I'm not falling for that bullsh*t that the guy turned 40. It is all about his activity level, the punishment he has taken and if he has preserved his body. He has a very clean lifestyle out of the ring. He is a very fresh 40 I would say," said Ellerbe.

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