Manny Pacquiao is heading into his April 12 rematch with a chip on is shoulder after comments made by Timothy Bradley set him off.
According to Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times Bradley said he thinks that Pacquiao has lost his killer instinct in the ring even after Bradley lost in the eyes of the majority of fans and media alike the first time the two fought each other in 2012.
Pacquiao denied the claim and is looking to end the fight early after Bradley’s words ignited a fire inside Pacquiao, that a knockout appears to be the only way to extinguish the flames.
According to Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, Pacquiao is not easily irritated, but Bradley mouthing off has made the eight division champ to dislike the undefeated WBO welterweight champion.
“Manny’s not the kind of guy who gets too (ticked) off, but that really made him not like Bradley,” Roach said. “He disrespected Manny. Instead of saying the first fight was close … to say, ‘You’ve lost that killer instinct and I’m going to beat you…’
Bradley suffered a fractured left foot in the first fight with Pacquiao, but Roach said the only thing that hurt him in the bout was Pacquiao’s power.
“The first fight with Bradley was so easy for Manny that after six rounds he just took it easy on him. Not this time,” Roach said. “Our mantra is ‘Close the show. No mercy.’
“Bradley says he fought Manny last time with two bad feet. I don’t remember him coming into the ring in a wheelchair. He hurt his feet when Manny connected his power punches on him.
“For Bradley to say ‘Manny doesn’t have the hunger anymore and it’s never coming back,’ and ‘Manny no longer has his killer instinct,’ that tells me that Bradley is still suffering from the concussion Provodnikov laid on him.”
Bradley is fresh off his victory over longtime Pacquiao rival, Juan Manuel Marquez, looking fundamentally sound in his split-decision win. Bradley was more active and used a defensive fighting strategy to outbox a great counter puncher in Marquez. If Bradley can fight at the same level he did against Marquez the second time around with Pacquiao it will be a much different bout.
With Pacquiao seemingly more motivated than he has been in the past couple of years going into the Bradley rematch it should bode well for the fans as the bout is sure to be filled with action from both sides, and will hopefully be less controversial than the first time Bradley and Pacquiao fought in 2012.
