by Ronnie Nathanielsz

ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer has lauded “Fighter of the Decade” Manny Pacquiao for his “impressive victory” over previously undefeated WBO welterweight  champion Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday.

Aldeguer who handles reigning WBO light flyweight champion Donnie Nietes and a number of promising young, world championship caliber  fighters said Pacquiao “deserves credit for how he’s come back” with two masterful performances against Brandon “Bam Bam”Rios and Bradley following his crushing 6th round knockout at the hands of Juan Manuel Marquez on December 8, 2012.

Aldeguer was impressed “with Manny’s amazing transition from fighter to boxer” as demonstrated in his recent fights although he concedes that Pacquiao “appears to have slowed down a bit.”

Michael’s father, the esteemed boxing patron Tony Aldeguer told us Pacquiao’s performance against Bradley was “unbelievable. He fought a very intelligent, mature fight” although he too conceded that Pacquiao had “slowed down a little and this has affected his power.”

American trainer Rick Stahaley, who handled Pacquiao when he won his first world title, the WBC flyweight belt against Thai hero Chatchgai Sasakul in December of 1998, said “I thought he (Pacquiao) looked pretty good” but admitted “he is not the Manny of 3 or 4 years ago. He’s a little bit slower, his feet a little bit slower but he’s 35 and he had a pretty good performance.”

Stahaley said he noticed something wrong with Bradley by the 6th round which later proved to be a calf injury but Stahaley remarked “but Manny was in total control by then. He took over with his intelligent boxing, moving in and out. I thought he fought a really smart fight’ which also proved he “does have the ability to box.”

Stahaley recalled that when he was training Pacquiao he “took him to Baguio years ago when he was OPBF champion and watched him outbox Gerry Penalosa when Gerry was world champion  at super flyweight. Manny showed the total game.”

He added, “we can now see for ourselves that he has evolved into a complete package.”