Bradley vs Pacquiao: An exciting fight or a huge mismatch?

By Vitali Shaposhnikov: “I think Bradley is too tough a guy for Amir, that Khan has nothing to keep Bradley off of him. Khan has nothing to hurt Bradley with while he;s getting constant pressure. Bradley’s the kid of fighter we’d love to have. He just comes off nicely as a person and is the kind of opponent I think Manny would welcome, the kind of opponent who is good for the sport of boxing,” – Bob Arum (http://www.examiner.com/boxing-in-national/bob-arum-tim-bradley-kind-of-guy-we-d-love-for-manny-pacquiao-fight#ixzz1CYXZu0Vw)

This past Saturday, January 29, 2011, Timothy Bradley and Devon Alexander stepped into the ring to face each other.

This fight not only created a lot of hype, but was easily one of the most anticipated fights in the recent past. These two young unbeaten fighters were poised to give the fans what they have been waiting for: action and excitement.

I watched the fight at a local bar where they regularly sow boxing events. There are two separate rooms in the bar: one was showing a UFC fight and the other Bradley vs. Alexander.

To my surprise, given the present state of boxing vs. MMA, the boxing room was stuffed with people, while the MMA room was lacking a fan base. I was satisfied!

The fight was admirable. Both men came in ready for war, and both stayed consistent and sharp. Neither Bradley nor Alexander ever abandoned defense or their self confidence.

I had Bradley in slight but definite lead when the fight was stopped in the tenth round due to an accidental head-butt by Bradley. Alexander seems to be in great discomfort and pain as the head-butt connected with his left eye.

The replay proved the head-butt to be accidental and pretty hard, dismissing many boo-inducing speculations from the fans.

I think that both fighters showed heart and skill, and I certainly respect both for what they showcased in the ring. Both are champions and both still have a very interesting future to build.

Ultimately, Timothy Bradley is the WBC and WBO light welterweight world champion.

I realize that the statement above is obvious to most boxing fans, and that’s exactly why many fans think that Timothy Bradley vs. Manny Pacquiao would be a very exciting fight.

Bradley is quick and relentless. On numerous occasions I heard boxing fans talk about this fight, and claim this would be the next best option for Manny Pacquiao and all of us.

After carefully reviewing Bradley vs. Alexander, I found Bradley to have too many flaws for a chance of beating, or even lasting with Pacquiao.

In my opinion, Manny Pacquiao would make a very short night of Bradley if they ever shared a ring.

Bradley displayed an evident lack of accuracy as well as a questionable post-offense defensive style. He tends to lower his hands after coming in with a light combo, which would instantly be picked up by Roach and taken advantage of my Pacquiao.

Bradley has another attribute which would not help him in a match against Pacquiao. Bradley doesn’t seem to have knock-out power in his hands, meaning that the only way to beat Pacquiao would be by points.

That in itself is a task to be anxious about. Noticing that Bradley can’t hurt him, Pacquiao would march in and swarm Bradley with barrages of punches from every-which angle you can think of.

No way have I looked at it, Bradley wins. In every aspect, Bradley loses to Pacquiao: Pacquiao is faster, stronger, with better defense and offence and, of course, a strategically better corner.