Bradley to lean on skills, jab, footwork

MANILA, Philippines - WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley intends to whip up a “desert storm” when he faces challenger Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday (Sunday morning, Manila time) in the third defense of the crown he wrested from the Filipino icon two years ago.

Bradley, 30, is nicknamed the “Desert Storm,” a moniker he gave himself. “I just wanted a name that would stick,” he said. “I’m from the desert down in Palm Springs. I was listening to a rapper named Fabolous and in the background, I heard, ‘desert storm’ and I was like, ‘Man, that sounds good.’ The war was going on and I was like, ‘that would be perfect.’ I wasn’t in the military but mentally and the way I train, I train like I was in the military – a lot of discipline.”

Bradley hasn’t been able to live down the dispute that stained his victory by split decision over Pacquiao to capture the crown. He has since turned back challengers Ruslan Provodnikov and Juan Manuel Marquez. Bradley was badly battered by Provodnikov and took a mandatory eight-count with 12 seconds left in the bout which he barely survived but still managed to win by unanimous decision. Against Marquez, Bradley fought cautiously, if not cowardly, in squeezing out a win by split decision.

Despite his inability to win acclaim from fans, Bradley is ranked No. 3 in The Ring Magazine’s pound-for-pound ladder where Pacquiao is No. 7. Bradley is still unbeaten with a 31-0 record, including 12 KOs, and The Ring said it’s been “a good run” but respect has remained an elusive dream.

“Few felt he deserved the nod against Pacquiao,” wrote David Greisman in The Ring. “He was out on his feet and fighting on pure instinct and guts during the (Provodnikov) bout. Yet his skills and a smart strategy brought him a big win against Marquez, a performance that demands respect and affirms his placement among the sport’s best.”

While most boxing experts scoff at Bradley’s claim to fame, The Ring recently predicted a win by the Desert Storm over Pacquiao in their coming rematch by “a close and competitive split decision, which will be disputed by some but not nearly as controversial as their first bout.” The Ring justified its forecast with this description of how the fight will turn out – “Bradley will try to set the tempo of the fight, out-jabbing and outmaneuvering Pacquiao from a distance … however, Pacquiao will occasionally land eye-catching left hands during their exchanges and the crowd favorite will turn up the heat in the final minute of each round, backing Bradley up with blazing one-two combinations … when the two engage on the inside, Bradley will have the edge either by working Pacquiao over with body shots or by tying him up.”

In The Ring’s analysis, Bradley is superior in nine departments – footwork, jab, body punching, infighting skills, ability to slip and block, physical condition, killer instinct, intelligence and strategic dexterity and chin and resilience. The Ring said Pacquiao has the advantage in seven departments – power (lead hand), power (trail hand), hook, cross/uppercut, experience, quality of opponents and cornerwork. The fighters were even in hand-speed, athleticism, endurance and poise and ability to cope with external pressures.

What The Ring failed to factor in is mental toughness. Bradley recently admitted he will never risk endangering his health by engaging an opponent like he did against Provodnikov. It was evident in the way he fought Marquez. Bradley mimicked Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a defensive and tactical battleplan. While the fans didn’t appreciate Bradley’s lack of fire, his showing was enough to convince two of the three judges that he deserved the verdict.

“My wife (Monica) worries about my health, like she should because this is a dangerous sport,” said Bradley quoted by Donald McRae in Boxing News. “It definitely has consequences later in life. So Monica wants me to take the least amount of punishment, invest my money right and get out of this game before I really get hurt. It’s all about my health. I deserve at least five more fights where I can box in a strategic way, like against Marquez. Me and Provodnkiov fought a classic. But I never want to go back there again.”

Experts said once Bradley feels the power of Pacquiao’s punches, he’ll think twice about whether it’s worth fighting on because of the health issue. Pacquiao intends to attack and ignite early so he erodes Bradley’s will to win before the “Desert Storm” establishes his tactical approach . The outcome will depend on which fighter is able to execute his plan of action.