• Manny Pacquiao v Timothy Bradley

Promoter worried by 'totally different' Pacquiao

ESPN staff
May 14, 2012
Manny Pacquiao fights the unbeaten Timothy Bradley on June 9 © Getty Images
Enlarge

Promoter Bob Arum is concerned how Manny Pacquiao will fare against Timothy Bradley next month, because the Filipino has become a "totally different person" since his controversial victory over Juan Manuel Marquez last November.

Pacquiao said in March that he had been urged to retire by God in a dream, which fuelled speculation that his exit date, pencilled in for 2013, could be brought forward - and that the Bradley bout may be his last.

That remains a possibility, although Arum and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer have been talking on TV about how to distribute money between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Pacquiao should they ever fight.

Nonetheless Arum, who also promotes Bradley, is not convinced how sharp his charge's mental focus is at the moment.

"Bradley is a terrific fighter," Arum told HBO. "He's undefeated. He poses a tremendous challenge for Manny Pacquiao. And my problem is: what Pacquiao are we going to see?

"You have to understand, since the last fight in November, he has become a totally different person. He's super religious. He does bible study every night.

"I get the impression that I'm promoting Rick Santorum [the one-time Republican Presidential candidate], not Manny Pacquiao. But be that as it may, who knows what effect it will have on his ring ability on June 9?"

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices