Pacquiao vs Bradley III: Third Bout Between Veteran Boxers
Scott Morris | April 9, 2016
Manny Pacquiao has taken time off from Congress in the Philippines to box again. Yes, on Saturday night Pacquiao will enter the squared circle to face Timothy Bradley III.
The fight will be telecast by HBO pay-per-view and it will feature the third fight between the two veteran fighters.
The MGM Grand Garden Arena will host the bout and Pacquiao enters the bout as the -230 favorite, while Bradley is available on most sportsbooks for +230.
The over/under for rounds is 10.5 with the OVER paying -360 and the UNDER +300. Each of the first two bouts between these two fighters went the full 12 rounds.
The first meeting between the two was in June 2012 and Bradley won a split decision that was quite controversial. In April 2014, Pacquiao avenged the loss with a unanimous decision.
Many boxing insiders feel Pacquiao was the winner of both previous head-to-head fights, and a third is not needed to break the deadlock.
However, the bout is not about what took place before, it is more of where both of the fighters are currently. Pacquiao’s life away from the ring continues to grow with politics and basketball as well as karaoke.
This will be Pacquiao’s first bout since he lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. Pacquiao also had surgery to repair a bad shoulder. Much speculation has been made as to whether this will be Pacquiao’s last fight since he is 37.
In contrast, Bradley at 32 is looking for respect despite having had a decorated boxing career.
He has won 31 of his 33 pro bouts with just one loss (Pacquiao) and a draw.
In 2015, Bradley was impressive in wins over Brandon Rios and Jessie Vargas. He will be in top condition and is one of the sport’s most disciplined boxers.
Odds for two undercard fights
12-Round Super Middleweight
Gilberto Ramirez -230 vs. Arthur Abraham +190
10-Round Featherweight
Oscar Valdez -1250 vs. Evgeny Gradovich +800
