Manny Pacquiao should choose Timothy Bradley for rematch April 12 but will pick Provodnikov

Manny Pacquiao will fight on April 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, against either Timothy Bradley or Ruslan Provodnikov, and Pacquiao, the eight-weight world champion, will decide in the next couple of days, according to Bob Arum.

Pacquiao lost a controversial split decision to Bradley in 2012, and Provodnikov has been a sparring partner for Pacquiao for some time.

“It’s up to Manny [whom he chooses],” promoter Arum told Steve Carp of the Las Vegas Review Journal, who has had conversations with Bradley’s manager, Cameron Dunkin, and Provodnikov’s promoter, Artie Pelullo to organise the bout.

Freddie Roach trains both Pacquiao and Provodnikov, but is expected to work Pacquiao’s corner.

Juan Manuel Marquez’s name has been absent from Pacquiao conversations.

Arum said Marquez is not interested in fighting Pacquiao a fifth time, after Marquez knocked him out in December 2012.

A rematch with Bradley, who beat Marquez by split decision on Oct. 12 at the Thomas &Mack Center, is more desirable for Marquez.

“If Manny decides to fight Provodnikov, then we can try and make a Bradley-Marquez matchup,” Arum told The Las Vegas Review Journal. “But let’s see what happens with Manny first.”

Bottom line is that we all know that Paquiao beat Bradley on points in a poor judging decision. It's time to set the record straight. But it wouldn't surprise me if 'Congressman PacMan' chose Provodnikov. He's still rebuilding towards a mega-bout with Mayweather down the line. We may have to wait until 2015, but it will eventually happen.

Source: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/garethadavies/