by Jorge Alarcon
Last Saturday was the premiere of HBO’s Face Off, hosted by Max Kellerman and featuring boxing legend Manny Pacquiao and junior welterweight titleholder Timothy Bradley Jr.
Pacquiao and Bradley will face off on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for the second biggest PPV event of 2012 since Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Miguel Cotto took place on May 5th.
Ahead of their HBO 24/7 premiere which starts on May 19, both fighters sat down with Kellerman to discuss their game plan and expectations for their upcoming fight. Each fighter was accompanied by their head trainers, the outspoken Freddie Roach in Pacquiao’s corner and the quiet Joel Diaz in Bradley’s.
During the show, Bradley showed no sign of weakness. He talked with extreme confidence, made long eye contact with both Pacquiao and Roach all while never being disrespectful nor insulting. Simply a fighter confident in his abilities and with a strong will to win.
Pacquiao on the other hand seemed as calm as ever, smiling, also making eye contact with Bradley and with a slight grin in his face every time either Bradley or his trainer Joel Diaz expressed their opinions.
When Bradley was asked by Max Kellerman “What are your thoughts on Pacquiao”, the Filipino star interrupted them and simply said “Handsome”, breaking the tension in the room and drawing laughs from everyone.
The most entertaining part of the show was when Bradley, in a surprising quote said “I want to feel what it’s like to be in a fight with the best Pound for Pound fighter in the game, I want to feel his punching power, I want to feel his speed, I want to feel that pain.” Kellerman, like everyone else surprised by the statement, went on to ask “What if you find out that his speed and power is too much?” Bradley again came out strong and replied “Bring it on, I’m up for the challenge”.
Pacquiao, when asked if he had something to say to Bradley, simply replied “Let’s give the fans what they want, I’ll pray for you and God bless you”
As a boxing fan is hard not to be really excited for this fight! It will not have the amount of promotion or attention that Maywather vs. Cotto received but in reality it’s a better and more competitive fighr for the hard core boxing fans.
Bradley is undefeated with a 28-0 record, has victories over tough opponents such as Devon Alexander, Joel Casamayor, Lamont Peterson and Kendall Holt just to name a few. He is no pushover and has confidence and firm belief that he can truly win this fight. Pacquiao will have to bring his “A” game if he is going to look impressive against a determined fighter like Bradley.
Will the reign of Pacquiao finally come to and end on June 9? Will a new star be born in Bradley? We will just have to find out June 9, so start counting down the days because the fight is less than a month away.
