Opinions appear to vary as to whether people think Manny Pacquiao’s controversial loss to Jeff Horn on Sunday was as suspect as his split-decision defeat to Timothy Bradley five years ago. Bob Arum, whose company promotes Pacquiao and co-promotes Horn, doesn’t think the decisions are comparable. ESPN analyst Teddy Atlas vehemently disagrees.
Sources close to the situation have revealed that Miguel Cotto is set to join Manny Pacquiao in General Santos City, Philippines next week ahead of each man’s respective pay per view clashes in the coming months. Pacquiao faces off with Tim Bradley in a crucial rematch on April 12 in Las Vegas while Cotto looks to be all but locked in for an intriguing showdown with Sergio Martinez on June 7.
NEW YORK – Bob Arum and Todd duBoef, CEO and President of Top Rank, respectively, and Michael Koncz of MP Promotions are pleased to announce that an agreement was reached today for undefeated two-division world champion TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY to defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against Fighter of the Decade Congressman MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO. Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, Pacquiao-Bradley 2 will take place, Saturday, April 12, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View.
NEW YORK — Promoter Bob Arum said Thursday that a deal is almost finalized for a Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley rematch and that an official announcement is imminent. “We’re very, very close,” Arum said at a news conference in Manhattan for the Mikey Garcia-Juan Carlos Burgos bout Saturday night in The Theater at Madison Square Garden. “The negotiations are getting down to the nitty gritty. We hope we’ll be able to announce it sometime before the end of this week.”
Super middleweight king Andre Ward has known Timothy Bradley for a long time. He expects Bradley, the WBO's welterweight champion, to beat eight division beltholder Manny Pacquiao in a planned rematch, which Top Rank is targeting for April 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. In June of 2012, Bradley won a highly controversial twelve round split decision over Pacquiao at the same Las Vegas venue. Ward is giving Bradley the edge to win due to his desire to overcome any obstacle - which he displayed against Devon Alexander, Kendall Holt and recently in his 2013 Fight of The Year victory over Ruslan Provodnikov.
Upon hearing the news that a deal was close, World Boxing Organization president Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel was loving the idea of a rematch between Manny Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38KOs) and WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (31-0, 12KOs). The fight is being negotiated for April 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Bradley's victory over Pacquiao was a controversial split decision in June 2012.
Top Rank CEO's Bob Arum says the terms have not been finalized for a rematch between Manny Pacquiao and WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley. The fight is being proposed for April 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. They previously met in June 2012, when Bradley won a controversial twelve round split decision. Arum admits the negotiations are ongoing and Bradley, at the moment, is the only fighter in the running for April. The veteran promoter believes a deal will get done.
According to a report in the Manila Bulletin, a deal is pretty much wrapped up for Manny Pacquiao to have a rematch with WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley. A press tour, according to the paper, is scheduled for the first week of February with stops in Los Angeles on February 4th and New York City on February 5th. Bradley (31-0 with 12 KOs) won a controversial twelve round split decision over Pacquiao (55-4-2 with 38 KOs) in June of 2012. Pacquiao was then knocked out cold later that year by Juan Manuel Marquez, who Bradley decisioned in October of last year.
If trainer Freddie Roach had a choice, he would have Manny Pacquiao face Ruslan Provodnikov on April 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Provodnikov, along with WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, are the two fighters being considered to face Pacquiao. Bradley won a controversial twelve round split decision over Pacquiao in 2012. Provodnikov, who Roach also trains, was used by Pacquiao as a sparring partner in the past. If the fight comes together, Provodnikov would have to hire a new trainer.
At the moment, the next opponent for Manny Pacquiao is still undecided, with Ruslan Provodnikov and Tim Bradley in the running for the shot. During a recent conversation with veteran color analyst Larry Merchant, he reflected back on Bradley’s memorable 2013 campaign and the topic of a second encounter with Pacquiao. “He’s making some serious money these days,” Merchant said of Bradley. “And to get that fight he might have to extend his contract with Top Rank. Then you see what happens. Maybe he wins legitimately or decisively the next time out. How does that change the landscape?”