Back then, Pacquiao was the incumbent WBO champion, hadn’t lost in what felt like a century (actually, seven years and three months) and was facing a foe in Bradley who’d posted a respectable resume at 140 pounds but had little else to warrant the shot at 147 other than a connection to Bob Arum.
Fast-forward two years and one dubious decision, and it’s Bradley with the belt and the win streak (he’s never lost in just less than 10 years as a pro), and Pacquiao who’s still trying to rebuild a brand that was dinged by the original verdict and nearly sunk by a KO loss to Juan Manuel Marquez six months later.
A glorified gym session with 146.5-pound heavy bag Brandon Rios brought many back on the Manny bandwagon in December, but the Bradley who’s beaten Ruslan Provodnikov (UD 12) and Marquez (SD 12) since the last meeting will provide a far more telling litmus test than Rios ever could.
Date: Saturday, April 12, 2014
Time: HBO PPV starts at 9 p.m. ET; main event around 11 p.m. ET
Venue: MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada
Odds: Pacquiao (-200), Bradley (+162)