Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank
On June 9, 2012 Timothy Bradley defeated Manny Pacquiao in a controversial split-decision.
On Saturday, April 12, 2014 Bradley has a shot to quiet his active critics.
After a convincing victory over future hall of famer Juan Manuel Marquez, Bradley will try to dominate in similar fashion as he faces a familiar foe.
In their first fight, the judges believed Bradley successfully out-boxed his Filipino counterpart, using the ring to cut off angles and dictate the pace of most rounds.
On Saturday he will look to do much of the same. This fight could define Timothy Bradley’s career if he can convincingly defeat the man who many believed won the first leg of this battle.
Read on for three keys to victory for Timothy Bradley in his rematch against Manny Pacquiao.
Footwork
Screenshot by Round By Round Boxing
If Timothy Bradley wants to take the next step in the world of boxing, he must first take the right steps in the ring.
Setting the pace of the fight with distance and angles is key for Bradley.
Manny Pacquiao has made a career of setting up punches with basic movement, engaging his opponent and quickly slipping away to disrupt the cadence and timing of fighters, invariably putting him in position to land more punches.
Bradley must use his plant foot to pivot and keep Pacquiao in front of him, controlling distance and cutting down angles he has consistently been effective at.
In doing so, Bradley will dictate the pace of the fight and direction of Pacquiao, ultimately determining the direction the fight goes.
Not to mention, effective aggressiveness can win rounds.
Stay in Character
Photo by Naoki Fukada
Like Timothy Bradley did against Ruslan Provodnikov and like Manny Pacquiao did against Erik Morales, Bradley must try to maintain composure and avoid a slugfest.
“Desert Storm” must fight as if he has been there and done that—which he has.
This time around, it’s what Bradley doesn’t do that could get him this sought-after victory.
Poised to reclaim the respect of fans and critics, Bradley must not be reluctant.
If he allows Pacquiao to get off punches and combinations first, Bradley will likely find himself in a corner and against Pacquiao it could potentially mean death.
Pressure
Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank
Intelligently pressuring Manny Pacquiao, not only directionally moving him backwards, but maintaining him at lower punch numbers per round, while never abandoning technical boxing and prudent counterpunching, would not only allow Timothy Bradley to maintain control but also dictate pace.
By keeping Pacquiao off rhythm and off balance, Bradley could make this fight his own.
Bradley should look to consistently maintain forward progression and put Pacquiao in positions where he feels he needs to punch himself out of, effectively setting up counterpunching.
Header photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images
