3 Keys to Victory for Timothy Bradley

Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Timothy Bradley never gets the credit he deserves. He boasts 33 wins, which included victories over some of the world’s best fighters, and only one defeat.

That singular loss was to Manny Pacquiao, which Bradley himself admitted was a loss to one of the greatest fighters in the world. Prior to that defeat, he had already beat Pacquiao once before by a highly-controversial split decision.

Once again, Bradley needs to make a significant statement in the final episode of the Bradley-Pacquiao trilogy.

Pacquiao is at the end of his career, though Bradley is still young and has much more time in the sport. He put on an impressive performance last fall against Brandon Rios, thanks in part to his new, yet old-school trainer, Teddy Atlas.

There’s a bit of uncertainty whether or not Bradley can put on another great performance with Atlas in his corner, having only worked together for a short amount of time.

They say that a tiger can’t change its stripes but then again, Bradley isn’t a tiger–he’s a fireman.

Head Movement

Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank

Tim Bradley’s lack of head movement was a real trouble spot for him in the first fight with Manny Pacquiao.

Although he was able to move his feet quite well, it seemed like his head just couldn’t catch up.

Pacquiao may have walked out of the first bout with a loss, but many of his highlights were punches that landed cleanly to Bradley’s head.

I hope that Bradley enters this fight with much more sophisticated defense. He needs to make Pacquiao feel like it’s virtually impossible to touch him, at least effectively.

This seems like a tall order for Bradley, but he actually did much better with head movement when he fought Brandon Rios.

Simple and effective head movement can go a long way in terms of making his opponent miss, while also being able to counter.

Stay in the Pocket

Photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank

Staying in the pocket is probably one of the best lessons Tim Bradley can take away from Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao expected Mayweather to circle around the ring and use lateral movement for days. Instead, Floyd stayed right there, which was clearly off-putting for his opponent.

Why should Bradley heed this advice? Because Pacquiao is really not that difficult to hit.

Off the break, he needs to show Pacquiao that he isn’t going any where and he’s not afraid of his power, which is honestly a very “Bradley” thing to do.

My only precaution is that he not get reckless. So Tim, use your feet, remember the head movement, and jab that man to death.

Use Angles and Watch out for Counterpunches

Photo by David Becker/Getty Images

Besides having his defense on point, Tim Bradley needs to use his angles. By that I mean he needs to throw combinations and think of getting to the left or right immediately after.

One of Manny Pacquiao’s strengths is being able to counterpunch quickly or at least throw punches immediately after his opponent.

Using angles will provide Bradley with a way to escape Pacquiao’s counter attacks while still staying in the pocket.

It’s important that Bradley appear present at all times in this fight, as to not give Pacquiao any added confidence.

Bradley can also thinking about using angles while throwing rapid punches, like the back-to-back hooks he landed on Brandon Rios.