Dan Rafael of ESPN.com reported last night that the advisor for WBO world welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, Michael Koncz, revealed “Pac-Man” has agreed to defend his crown against WBO light welterweight titlist “Desert Storm” Timothy Bradley on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bradley (28-0-0-1, 12 KOs), also a former two-time light welterweight king who is presently rated by Ring Magazine as the eighth pound-for-pound pugilist in the world, apparently still needs to ink the deal with Bob Arum and Top Rank.
"From our end, the fight is done," Koncz said. "I just got off the phone with (Top Rank's) Bob Arum and Manny, so we're done. I don't assume there will be a problem from the Bradley side. We came to terms with Top Rank on the fight and Manny has approved everything. This morning I had a number of conversations with Bob negotiating the June 9 fight and I relayed everything to Manny."
Bradley became the favorite to throw fists with Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KOs) last week after WBC world welterweight champion “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather announced that he would gain weight to battle Puerto Rican icon and WBA world light-welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto on May 5 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Speculation had run rampant that Mayweather (42-0, 26 KOs) and Pacquiao would finally clash on Cinco de Mayo.
Pathetically, despite an estimated purse that could have paid both boxers in excess of $50 million apiece, the uncompromising and insatiable camps for both Pacquiao and Mayweather prevented the much-anticipated bout from materializing.
So, rather than the epic showdown boxing fans have craved for more than two years, Pacquiao will throw fists with the overrated Bradley in a colossal mismatch this spring.
Roger "Pit" Perron is a venerable boxing trainer from Brockton (Mass.) who now works with Mike and Rich Cappiello at their gym, Cappiello Brothers Boxing and Training.
“I have never thought much of Bradley,” said Perron, 75, who worked with International Boxing Hall of Famer Marvelous Marvin Hagler at the Petronelli Brothers Gym. “Manny will dominate this one.”
Sadly for boxing fans, approximately four months before the opening bell has even been rung, “from our end, the fight is done.”
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