by Nick Giongco
LAS VEGAS – Cool as ever, Manny Pacquiao gave Tim Bradley the cold-shoulder treatment when the brash US fighter tried to engage him in a trash-talking contest during a staredown on Wednesday.
Right after Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum closed out the press conference, Pacquiao and Bradley were called in to pose for photographers and TV cameras and as soon as they were ordered to face each other, Bradley went on the offensive.
Publicists working for Arum got the peppery quotes that Bradley unleashed and the conversation went like this:
Bradley: Are you ready to fight?
Pacquiao: Yes, I am ready.
Bradley: You gotta be ready.
Pacquiao: I will be ready.
Bradley: You better be ready.
Pacquiao: Yes, I will be ready.
Top Rank chief PR man Lee Samuels said Bradley clearly wanted Pacquiao to lose his cool when they faced each other for about 15 seconds.
But another publicist, the Spanish-speaking Ricardo Jimenez, said it was obvious Bradley failed to get under Pacquiao’s skin.
“He didn’t get what he wanted from Manny,” said Jimenez. Throughout training camp, Bradley has been telling just about everyone that Pacquiao has lost his zest for boxing and that it will going to show during their fight.
Pacquiao insists he remains motivated and that he will make Bradley eat his words come fight night.