Pre-Fight Analysis: Pacquiao vs. Bradley II

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

The following have been my analysis I prepared for GMA-7 TV and Bombo Radyo - Dagupan City and Koronadal days before the Pacquiao versus Bradley rematch in April 13.

Background

The problem with Timothy Ray Bradley, Jr. in his controversial split decision win against Philippine Bible waving and quoting  Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao was “he punched like a bitch” -- to rephrase  stuttering Coach Freddie Roach just after he was hammered kick on the chest by erstwhile colleague Alex Ariza in Macau, China.

What should Bradley do to win the fight against Manny  this weekend?

1.            He should  not punch like a bitch but punch big time  Pacquiao like a beast  just like what Juan Manuel Marquez had done to Manny on their 3rd and 4th outings. I just hope that by minting the hands of the Palm Spring, California native, Tim strength coach could be at the class of Angel “Memo” Heredia (Marquez's conditioning coach) who prepares him for the coup d’ grace (lethal blow, idiot!) against the Filipino.

2.            Tim should not content himself with jabs, ducks, and cat-and-mouse. He should remember that even four of his jabs or pitter-patter lead left punch landed at Manny's shoulder or face they are no match to a single but jarring blow from Manny that the judges in Las Vegas will favor.

3.            He should emulate how Floyd Mayweather, Jr. exposed and exploited with gusto with power punches the loopholes in the defenses of  Robert Guerrero and Canelo Alvarez.

4.            Tim should imitate Juan Manuel by peppering Manny with 1-2 or 1-2-3 hard counter punches and sliding clockwise to negate the killer left retaliatory punch of Manny.

5.            Whenever Manny turtles shell his head with gloves, Tim hits him with uppercuts on the chin by exploiting the yawning gap between the Filipino Superman(except Superman's handsome face) elbows.

6.            Tim ties Manny as he sneaked some punches on the sides of his torso just like what he did in Round 10 of their 2012 match.

7.            When he ducks Manny’s flurry of punches, he should see to it that he hits the Filipino with some staggering counter-blows and not just impresses everyone with his eel- liked slippery from Manny’s punches. Elusiveness does not win fights, its punches that win fight. 

Background

Of all the marquee opponents that clashed with Manny Pacquiao, Tim Bradley has been a tough customer to crack. Why? He was liked an eel that Manny has been frantically missing to hit big time in their 2012 outing.

VIDEO ANALYSIS: PACQUIAO VS. BRADLEY

Every time Manny threw his right jab or right lead, Tim, in a side way position, ducks ala Floyd Mayweather at the left side of Pacquiao thus neutralizing Manny’s money left killer straight and hook that just flew above the back of the 30 years old Palm Spring, California native.

Every time Manny, 35, used his right feint to bait Bradley to open up to his (Pacquiao) smashing left punch, Tim avoided it by turning away clockwise (just like Juan Manuel Marquez) or in a retreating fashion (just like those communists who were chased recently with stones by the Muslims in Mendiola) from Manny’s left hand.

What should the Filipino pug do to negate the eel- liked strategy of the American?

1.       Every time he and Bradley exchange flurry of punches, Manny should emphasize on the left uppercuts instead of the left crosses (straight) and left hooks that have been negated by a naturally weaving and bobbling American. An uppercut is effective since it comes from his hip level and upward to hit the chin of the opponent.

2.       If the head hunter Pacquiao cannot hit the ducking Tim, the head hunter should transform into a body snatcher.

It happened to Ricardo Mayorga when the fist of stones Tito Trinidad threw everything including the proverbial kitchen sink and the stinking toilet bowl at the face of the showboating and thrash talkin’ Mayorga but to no avail. But when the Puerto Rican dug on the liver parts of the Nicaraguan the hard works paid off as Mayorga knelled on the dais in pain for several times.

3) Every time Bradley swung a right hook, Manny ducks to his left and vigorously hits Tim with counter left punch on the right chin or on the liver part.

I saw him did this strategy in the 2012 fight but he should double or triple this effort in the rematch on the weekend. By doing this, Manny would be giving Tim a dose of his own medicine. Thus, outwitting the counter puncher with a counter punched.

(Send comments to totomortz@yahoo.com)