Even Tim Bradley is puzzled with the apparent decline of Manny Pacquiao.
Asked what he though about Pacquiao’s inability to stop an opponent the last six years, Bradley, who meets Pacquiao on April 9 in Las Vegas, is likewise at a loss.
“I don’t know what it is. He hasn’t knocked anyone out in a long time. It could be the weight class – he has been fighting at 147 pounds – it could be that,” said Bradley last week.
The last time fight fans saw Pacquiao stopping a foe was in Nov. 2009 when the Filipino star took out Miguel Cotto in the 12th and final round.
After blasting out Cotto, Pacquiao was unable to put away Joshua Clottey, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley, Juan Manuel Marquez, Brandon Rios and Chris Algieri.
Still, Bradley, who split his first two matches with Pacquiao, is not taking it to mean that the 37-year-old fighting congressman has lost his appetite for destruction.
“But I’m not depending on any decline of Manny Pacquiao. If I beat Manny Pacquiao I already know what is going to be said – “Oh he was old” – but I know Pacquiao is still great and he still can fight. I’m not depending on Manny Pacquiao to be weak,” said the 32-year-old Palm Springs native.
“I think he is going to be stronger than ever. He’s going to be motivated and he’s going to be looking to taking my head off.”
As part of his buildup for the rubbver match set at the MGM Grand, Bradley has decided to drop being a vegan.
“I’m eating meat now so that’s a good thing. I’m back eating fish and chicken and a good steak every now and then and I think that has a lot to do with it. I just want to be able to fight this guy with a great game plan without being injured at all and see what happens.”