Pacquiao-Bradley rematch April 12

Unless Floyd Mayweather Jr. has an epiphany – which is highly unlikely – the stage is set for Manny Pacquiao and Tim Bradley to settle their unfinished business on April 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, an industry source told the Bulletin yesterday.

The formal announcement will be made next week and a whirlwind press tour will follow in the first week of February with Los Angeles as the first stop on Feb. 4 and New York on Feb. 5.

A visit to Philadelphia for a similar gig is also on the calendar as Top Rank is determined to drum up interest for Pacquiao’s much-awaited return to the US.

Pacquiao only fought once last year and it took place in the gambling haven of Macau against Brandon Rios.

The last time US fight fans saw the Filipino icon in the flesh, it was against Mexican maestro Juan Manuel Marquez in Nov. 2012 and the 35-year-old fighting congressman has been terribly missed over there.

While everyone is wishing that Pacquiao and Mayweather get to face each other, the choice of Bradley as a backup opponent is still an attractive alternative since there is bad blood between them.

Bradley was awarded a controversial 12-round split decision against Pacquiao in June 2012 and just about everyone who saw it live and on television around the world thought Bradley was more than fortunate to have been awarded the verdict.

But since then, the 30-year-old Bradley has distinguished himself after withstanding the all-out assault of Russian slugger Ruslan Provodnikov and outsmarting Marquez.

Bradley (31-0 with 12 KOs) is now regarded as a worthy entrant in the mythical pound-for-pound Top 10.

Pacquiao (55-4-2 with 38 KOs) resurrected his career following his masterful win over the rugged Rios and he was successful in proving to everyone that it was premature to count him after the Marquez knockout.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao adviser Mike Koncz is returning to the country from the US this weekend with all the paperworks for the Bradley fight.

Koncz also flew to the US early this month to attend to Pacquiao’s tax woes, something the fighter’s Canadian right-hand man said are being handled properly by their lawyers.

With Koncz setting foot in Manila soon, Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum will have a few days to come up with a catchy one-liner to hype the rematch.

But knowing that Pacquiao is going to be the headliner, Arum should have no problems crafting one.

Source: http://sports.tempo.com.ph/2014/01/pacquiao-bradley-rematch-april-12/#.Ut6mRUBPuQ8

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Bob Arum: Manny Pacquiao-Tim Bradley ‘not done’

Although Top Rank CEO Bob Arum acknowledged that negotiations are ongoing for a rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Tim Bradley on April 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the 82-year-old promoter vehemently dismissed reports that a deal has been reached.

"That's the one that we're working on now, and it may not be the one that takes place. Although I believe that the issues are being narrowed down, and I'm optimistic," said Arum. "But this process takes time and you can't just make it happen. Obviously, if I didn't think that it had a possibility of happening, then I wouldn't bother negotiating."

Pacquiao, who turned 35 in December, is coming off November's unanimous decision over Brandon Rios, who made his welterweight debut in the bout.

In victory, Pacquiao (54-5-2, 38 knockouts) rebounded from a sixth-round KO loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in December of that year. He had lost a controversial split decision to Bradley last June.

The 30-year-old Bradley (31-0, 12 KOs) won his last two fights by rising from a 12th-round knockdown to unanimously decision Ruslan Provodnikov last March before earning a split-decision over Marquez last October.

Provodnikov, 30, is another fighter who has been considered to be in the mix to face Pacauiao. A former sparring partner of Pacquiao's, Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KOs), bounced back with two knockdowns during a 10th-round stoppage that detehroned Mike Alvarado as WBO's junior welterweight titleholder.

"I've been involved in this business for so long that I know that until everything is agreed to, then there's no fight. If it ends up blowing up in our face, and he ends up fighting Provodnikov, then you look like a horse's ass. So the process is ongoing. It's not done. These things take a long time to finish the negotiations," said Arum.

"Now, are we talking to the fighters about that fight and trying to get everything done? Yeah. But it's not done yet, and it will never get done if we don't reach an agreement with those fighters. There are all of these points and all of these side issues, and you've got to sort through it all and hopefully, eventually, it will get done. There's no guarantee."

Source: http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/313681-bob-arum-manny-pacquiao-tim-bradley-not-done

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Rumors Abound: Pacquiao-Bradley II Is Set

Their first fight was mega controversial, with the majority of watchers coming away believing that Manny Pacquiao had beaten Timothy Bradley. But the judges, two out of three, said different. Duane Ford and the egregiously flawed CJ Ross gave Bradley, a California-based boxer who used movement and volume to impress the arbiters, the victory on June 9, 2012 in Las Vegas. Pacquiao, it looks like,  will get a chance to scrub that stain, and show fight fans and Bradley that the loss was an aberration, a mistake of monumental proportions, as the Congressman has chosen Bradley as his next foe, in a rematch to be held April 12 in Las Vegas.

So says the rumor mill, though official word hasn't come from Team Pacquiao or Pacman's promoter, Top Rank.

I reached out to a publicist who does work for Top Rank in the late AM, and that person said that bout wasn't set to his/her knowledge. Pacquiao advisor Michael Koncz, via text, said the bout wasn't official, either. "Cannot confirm that yet," he said. But word has leaked out, and tellingly, I'd say, the lack of a refutation from Top Rank or Team Pacquiao is telling.

Bradley's star has grown brighter since that first Pacquiao tangle, as he got a W over rumbler Ruslan Provodnikov last March, and followed that with a masterful effort against Juan Manuel Marquez last October, handling him with relative ease comparing to how Pacquiao has dealt with the Mexican counter-puncher.

Bradley is now 31-0, with 12 KOs, and there will be a solid minority of fightwatchers who will tab him the favorite against Pacman, with their reasoning being that at 30, he's a bit fresher than the 54-3-2 Pacman, who turned 35 on Dec. 17. Then again, Manny worked all the angles and his hand speed and stamina looked spot on in his last effort, a wide UD12 over Brandon Rios in Macau on Nov. 23.

Readers, your thoughts please. Do you like the choice of Bradley over Pacman pal Provodnikov, if indeed rumor turns to fact? Is Manny the odds on favorite here or are you picking Bradley? Weigh in!

Source: http://www.thesweetscience.com/news/articles/17882-rumors-abound-pacquiao-bradley-ii-is-set

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Timothy Bradley's huge purse demand could derail Pacquiao fight

Timothy Bradley's rumored $10 million purse demand for a rematch with Manny Pacquiao could be the reason why Arum is stalling on the overdue decision to officially announce the fight.

Bradley is the frontrunner in the selection of opponent for Pacquiao's next fight set for April 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The official announcement for the Pacquiao-Bradley rematch has remained pending for no apparent reason as the other candidates for Pacquiao's next fight that include Juan Manuel Marquez and Floyd Mayweather Jr., have been taken out of the shortlist.

Mayweather is returning to MGM Grand on May 3 possively with British idol Amir Khan, who is getting very impatient for having waited too long for Mayweather's signature on the contract that he already signed and forwarded back to Mayweather for his own signature.

Marquez has opted out of the Pacquiao sweepstakes. saying he there is nothing more to prove in another Pacquiao rematch following his stunning knockout decision win over the Filipino star in December 2012. Read more.

But some boxing observers and fans believe that Marquez is just acting like a diva, sending a message to his promoter Bob Arum to raise his guaranteed purse before having a serious talk with Pacquiao for what appears to be his most lucrative fight ever.

The other remaining contender aside from Bradley is Pacquiao's former sparring partner Ruslan Provodnikov, who is also being trained by Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/sports/op-ed-timothy-bradley-s-huge-purse-demand

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Ruslan Provodnikov Likes His Chances Against Manny Pacquiao

His March 2013 fight against Timothy Bradley turned out to be one of the most entertaining fights of the year, with the Russian rocking "Desert Storm" multiple times during their showdown, sending him to the canvas during the 12th round.

Provodnikov (23-2-0, 16 KOs) followed that up with an even more impressive performance against Mike Alvarado, flooring "Mile High" a couple of times during the eight round, forcing his corner to stop the contest after ten rounds, snagging the WBO light-welterweight title.

With the eye-opening performances he had in 2013, Provodnikov is determined to follow up with another dominant performance against a respected opponent. If he has his way, his next opponent will be his training partner, Manny Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs).

Provodnikov feels it's a good matchup for him, and an excellent opportunity to add a big-name opponent to his list of victims. He doesn't seem particularly worried about how a fight would affect his relationship with the Filipino congressman, and he's confident he'll emerge victorious.

"First, there is nothing wrong with this [fight], it's business," Provodnikov explained during a recent interview. "Boxing history has shown us many examples where best friends go out and fight with each other. Although we can't really call ourselves [best friends] with Manny - we were friends, we knew each other and we were always talking when we met."

After getting knocked out cold by Juan Manuel Marquez late 2012, Pacquiao bounced back with an imposing performance against Brandon Rios. It was a relatively good showing for Pacquiao, but he failed to put Rios away, settling for a unanimous decision. Provodnikov wasn't impressed with Manny's performance.

"In that fight [against Brandon Rios], Manny showed that I have a good chance [to win]," he added.

Pacquiao's handlers made a feeble attempt to organize the highly-elusive super-fight against Floyd Mayweather following the win against Rios, but no progress was made. With that out of the picture, Pacquiao's options for his next fight seem to be dwindling down to Bradley or Provodnikov. His trainer, Freddie Roach, prefers the idea of this two top students going at it.

Bradley was awarded with a controversial decision after his 2012 tilt against Pacquiao, and he's racked up wins against Provodnikov and Marquez since then. Given Bradley's wins against Pacquiao and the last man to knock out the Filipino statesman (Marquez), he seems to be the most logical opponent.

However, a matchup against Provodnikov would likely lead to fireworks, and, given his aggressive style and punching power, the "Siberian Rocky" is good enough to pull off the upset.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ruslan-provodnikov-likes-chances-against-manny-pacquiao

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Why Timothy Bradley should get whatever he asks to fight Manny Pacquiao

In considering opponents for Manny Pacquiao’s next fight, the biggest obstacle to a rematch with Cathedral City’s Timothy Bradley’s asking price. I’m not sure what the number is, but he had turned down a reported $6 million, according to the Pacquiao camp.

When Bradley first fought Pacquiao, it was reported for $5 million, which was the standard purse for Pacquiao’s opponents. And that’s been a generous amount, since Floyd Mayweather reportedly pays his opponents less when they don’t have a pay-per-view market.

Pacquiao lost to Bradley and the decision was controversial because many thought Pacquiao dominated the fight. It caused a huge uproar that’s still written about today, 18 months after the fight. Pacquiao passed on the rematch to fight Juan Manuel Marquez at the end of 2012, where he got knocked out.

So when Pacquiao was considering an opponent in the fall of 2013, they said they offered $6 million that was turned dow. This was after Bradley was coming off his Fight of the Year performance against Ruslan Provodnikov.

All Bradley did in 2013 is solidify his standing among the elite boxers and built a stronger audience. In a year that Showtime analyst Al Bernstein said was the best in the past 25 years, Bradley won the consensus Fight of the Year honors  for his win over Provodnikov.

Now this is all preliminary. It’s still early enough in the new year and I’m sure the Pacquiao camp hasn’t decided who they should fight next. But it looks more and more like it will be Bradley. There’s just not a lot of attractive options for Pacquiao. And Bradley has a perfect record, Fight of the Year honors and the WBO belt.

More: http://voices.mydesert.com/2014/01/15/why-timothy-bradley-should-get-10-million

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What Skip Bayless, Stephen A. Smith say about Pacquiao vs.Bradley

TV Hosts Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless of the popular ESPN sports show "First Take" were visibly bothered by the controversial decision of judges favoring Bradley over Pacquiao during their fight in June 2012 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This particular segment of "First Take" is relevant in the wake of speculations that the contract for a rematch between Pacquiao and Bradley has been finalized.

"I have never been more shocked and in this case saddened by the outcome of the event," Co-host Skip Bayless said during the show.

According to Bayless, he had it 11-1 by the rounds in favor of Pacquiao and 119-109 on his scorecard.
Bayless also said that Bradley talked to his promoter Bob Arum during the break saying: "Bob, I gave it may all, I just couldn't beat the guy." Bayless then wondered whether the fight was a set-up because a rematch had been set up with a date right after the fight though Arum qualified later that a rematch was not set in stone.

Bayless ventured further saying that the judges must have been irked by Pacquiao's delayed entry because he left the dressing area to watch his favorite NBA team Boston Celtics live on TV. He said he could not think of any valid reason for the one-sided scoring.

The scoring controversy led to a decision by the sanctioning body to constitute five seasoned judges to review the video of the fight. After the review, all judges declared Pacquiao the winner.

Unofficial scorecards by members of media covering the fight showed that 53 of the 56 sportswriters who voted, favored Pacquiao over Bradley by a wide margin.

Despite the controversy, Bradley said he deserved the win but offered Pacquiao an immediate rematch.

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Pacquiao-Bradley rematch looks likely for April 12

The selection process for Manny Pacquiao's next opponent is down to two, as Top Rank promoter Bob Arum narrows his focus to Timothy Bradley and Ruslan Provodnikov for Pacman's April 12 date in the US.

The former eight division world champion Pacquiao 55-5-2 (38 knockouts) is coming off a one-sided decision victory over former lightweight titleholder Brandon Rios in Macau last November, reviving his career following back-to-back losses to Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012.

With clashes against Floyd Mayweather Jr. and a fifth bout with Marquez remaining ever difficult to bring to fruition, Pacquiao can either chase revenge against the WBO welterweight titleholder Bradley, who had beaten him by a controversial decision in 2012, or pursue a bout with Russian knockout artist Ruslan Provodnikov.

Gerry Peñalosa, a former junior bantamweight and bantamweight champion and a close Pacquiao friend, says he is "200%" sure that Pacquiao will look to avenge the Bradley loss in his next outing. Peñalosa is even more confident that he'll succeed.

"Pacquiao will win a unanimous decision in the rematch," said Peñalosa, a native of Negros Occidental. "Pacquiao's speed is too much for Bradley. Both fighters are experienced and it'll be hard to get a knockout."

When asked about Pacquiao-Bradley II rumors, Pacquiao's adviser Michael Koncz responded that the fight was "not confirmed yet. We are still discussing our options." A Top Rank source offered only two words in response to the question: "It's possible."

Bradley, 30, of Palm Springs, Calif. has a 31-0 (12 KOs) record that includes wins over Provodnikov and Marquez in his past two fights. Though Bradley's superior speed allowed him to beat Marquez more convincingly than Pacquiao had in two prior wins, he was dropped twice against Provodnikov. Bradley's more consistent workrate enabled him to pull out a victory by a single point on two scorecards.

Provodnikov, 29, of Beryozovo, Russia rebounded from last March's loss to Bradley to stop Mike Alvarado in ten rounds in October. Pacquiao and Provodnikov (23-2, 16 KOs) are both trained by Freddie Roach, and Provodnikov was even Pacquiao's chief sparring partner for the first Bradley fight.

Like Pacquiao, Bradley is promoted by Top Rank. Provodnikov is promoted by the Philadelphia-based Banner Promotions, but Top Rank holds an option to promote his next bout.

More: http://www.rappler.com/sports/47435-pacquiao-bradley-rematch

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