Pacquiao floors Bradley twice, wins fight by unanimous decision

Other Boxing News10-Apr-16by Rish ap_Wiliam

By John J. Raspanti

Photo © German Villasenor, MaxBoxing

Manny Pacquiao (58-6-2, 38 KOs) left little doubt who the superior fighter was Saturday night by winning a hard-fought 12-round unanimous decision over Timothy Bradley (33-2-1, 13 KOs) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

All three judges scored the fight 116-110 for Pacquiao.

Maxboxing also had Pacquiao winning by a 116-110 tally.

Pacquiao now owns two victories in three fights against Bradley. He also captured the WBO welterweight championship.

The first round was more about feeling each other out than fighting.

Bradley circled to his left and popped his jab. Pacquiao blocked most of the blows. Bradley went to the body, but ate a straight left to the heart. Bradley connected with a solid left hook in round two. Pacquiao let fly with his left. Bradley fought back with a counter shot. Paquiao found Bradley’s face with a good left.

Both fighters traded left hooks in round three. Bradley worked the body. Pacquiao bobbed and weaved and landed a check hook. Bradley was using his jab as a range finder, but Pacquiao was being cagey and elusive.

Bradley connected with a leaping left hook in round four. Pacquiao opened up with left hands, strafing Bradley with shots. Bradley landed a sneaky right hand, but Pacquiao straightened him up with two sizzling combinations. At the bell ending the round, Bradley sent Pacquiao to the ropes with a right hook.

Pacquiao dominated round five with power shots. He connected with a straight left down the middle. Bradley went to the head and body. Pacquiao smashed Bradley with a number of hard left hands.

Bradley got off quickly in round six. He landed a good right hand, but ate a hard combination in return. He was trying to beat Pacquiao on the outside, but the eight-division champion was sharp. In round seven, Bradley did well pretty well until Pacquiao connected a right that sent and an off balance Bradley to the canvas. Bradley connected with a lead right--followed by a combinations that stunned Pacquiao in round eight. Bradley attacked, but Pacquiao was soon fighting back.Bradley upped his aggression in round nine. He landed two right hands that knocked Pacquiao back a step. Pacquaio pinged him with a left. The punch hurt Bradley. A follow up left-right sent Bradley somersaulting to the canvas. He pulled himself up, but was obviously hurt. He managed to survive to the bell.

Pacquiao connected with wicked shots to the head and body in round 10. Bradley looked discouraged, but there was no quit in the former three-time champion. Pacquiao tattooed him with lefts and rights. The Filipino icon was totally in control.

Bradley kept trying in rounds 11 and 12, but Pacquiao is the better fighter. He landed some solid lefts, and ate a few good rights from Bradley. Pacquiao feinted and left fly with some super fast blows. Most of them landed solidly. Bradley tried to connect with a home run blow in the last three minutes of the fight. Pacquiao kept his distance and boxed. He did land a stunning left that hurt Bradley at the bell.

“This fight was different this time,” said Pacquiao in the ring. “I was more aggressive, but also careful. Bradley is a top boxer. Thank you to all the fans in boxing.”

“He’s very quick, and very explosive,” Bradley said. “He won the fight tonight. Congratulations to Manny Pacquiao.”