LEGACY BELT. Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley Jr. hold the WBO Welterweight championship “legacy” belt during the final press conference at the David Copperfield Theater inside MGM Hotel in Las Vegas. Pacquiao and Bradley will fight on Saturday (Sunday Philippine time.) (Inquirer)
Las Vegas –The last time trainer Robert Garcia encountered Timothy Bradley Jr, the five-time world champion was pummeling his ward, Brandon Rios, into early retirement.
Garcia, on the other hand, saw Manny Pacquiao get beaten by Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 2 last year.
He was likewise on the opposite corner when Pacquiao dominated Rios in Macau in 2013 and turned Antonio Margarito into a virtual punching bag in 2010 in Arlington, Texas.
Having seen the first two editions of Pacquiao-Bradley, which officially is listed as a split, Garcia is in good position to predict the winner of the HBO pay-per-view bout unfolding on Saturday at MGM Grand Garden Arena here.
Discarding all the developments coming into play, Garcia believes Pacquiao will once again emerge triumphant over the Californian warrior.
The subplots include Pacquiao’s impending retirement after the fight, the Filipino icon’s recovery from right shoulder injury, Bradley’s knockout of Rios last November, and the presence of Teddy Atlas in his corner.
According to Garcia, the trainer of the year by Ring Magazine in 2011 and by the Boxing Writers Association of America in 2012, Pacquiao needs to win impressively if he is indeed bent on retiring.
“I’m picking Manny and I wouldn’t even be surprised if the fight ends in a knockout,” said Garcia.
A former International Boxing Federation super featherweight champion, Garcia believes Pacquiao is in his best shape in the last two years, his biggest motivation being to leave the ring in style or lure Mayweather out of retirement.
Mayweather has been adamant in saying he won’t change his mind at retiring on his 49-0 record, but experts, including trainer Floyd Sr., say a dominant Pacquiao win will certainly make “Money” notice or, at the very least, fire up a clamor for a rematch.
“And, who can refuse $200 to $300 million (paycheck)?,” added Garcia, also a former trainer to Fil-Am champions Nonito Donaire Jr. and Brian Viloria.
Though he admits Bradley really looked good against Rios, Garcia said Pacquiao will try to bring the American down to further enhanced his ring legacy.