Lederman: Pacquiao's the Favorite in Bradley Rematch
by David P. Greisman
Harold Lederman, HBO’s longtime ringside scorer, caught up briefly with BoxingScene.com to give his thoughts on the April 12 rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley.
Lederman spoke with BoxingScene.com on Feb. 28.
BoxingScene.com: I know you don’t make predictions on fights that you will be working, but what are your thoughts on the rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley?
Lederman: “It’ll be an exciting fight. Timothy was in some really exciting fights recently with Ruslan Provodnikov and Juan Manuel Marquez, if anybody can be in an exciting fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. I think that this one’s going to be exciting. Hopefully Timothy will do a little bit better than he did in the first one. I scored the first one 11 to 1 for Pacquiao. I’m the one that caused all the problems, I guess. Manny just kept hitting him with that straight left hand all night.
“Manny did look good with Brandon Rios, I got to admit that. So I guess you’d have to make Manny the favorite going in, but I think it’s going to be an exciting fight. I’m really looking forward to it. Manny coming back to Vegas, after his last fight with Brandon Rios in Macau, is coming back to the MGM Grand. I think it’s going to be a terrific night of boxing for Vegas, for the fans that buy the pay-per-view, and for the few of us that are there at the fight.
“I’m really looking forward to a good fight. Timothy Bradley keeps winning, no matter what you say about him. He’s got that stance like Evander Holyfield: He’s right-handed, and he leans in and catches you with the head, so a lot of his fights are head butt fights. You’ve got to be very careful you don’t get busted up. Manny didn’t get all busted up in the first fight with Bradley, but you’ve got to be very careful. I think it’s going to be exciting. I can’t wait until April 12.”
BoxingScene.com: I don’t feel like one can conclude that Manny Pacquiao was done after the losses to Bradley and Marquez, but I also feel like one can’t look at the Rios fight and necessarily conclude that Pacquiao is back.
Lederman: “That’s my opinion. Freddie Roach does one great job with that man. No. 1, Manny himself is a very talented guy. You watch him, he does things that are so out of the ordinary. For example, southpaws, even great southpaws like Marvin Hagler, they paw with the right hand. Manny snaps his jab, he turns and then will knock you out with a right hook. Southpaws aren’t notoriously great punchers. That right hook, real good southpaws throw a real good right hook. Most of them have to set their feet to throw a right hook.
“On the other hand, Manny Pacquiao, even though he’s moving, even though he’s turning, he’ll knock you out with a right hook. It’s just incredible. The guy’s got talent that normal left-handed fighters don’t have. He’s just a very talented guy. Like a lot of southpaws, he’s got a real strong left hand. He can knock you out with the left hand. He’s got weapons, either a good straight left hand or a right hook that he can knock Bradley out with. So he’s a dangerous guy, and Timothy’s going to have to be very careful not to get knocked out.”
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