Pacquiao loses to Bradley: Analysis

In boxing, it is not the strong punches that only counts--it is all those punches which one dishes out and that connects. In the Pacquiao-Bradley fight, there is reasonable reason to accept the judges' verdict.


First, it is noticeable in the fight that Pacquiao was not engaging Bradley the same way he did in his early fights. Pacquiao was actually asking Bradley to go near him and engage, something which did not happen in his previous bouts. One explanation was he was suffering from a bruised or sore heel. Fact is, before the fight started, Pacquiao's camp asked for extra time because the former champ was still fixing his heel problem.


The first two bouts were Bradley's. In the scorecard, Bradley won seven rounds compared to just five for Pacquiao. I think even the twelfh round, Bradley got it because of the sheer number of blows he unleashed against Pacquiao.


Pacquiao on the other hand, was quite complacent. He was overly trusting that, even if he only last twelve rounds, he'll win. Well, this is why you should not overly trust your promoter.


I also noticed that the patented killer instinct was not evident in Pacquiao in this fight. It was all theatrics. It was also in this fight that Pacquiao was praying every, single round. Why was he praying every, single round? He was not the killer boxer that he was known for in this fight. 


When a boxer loses his killer instinct, he is surely entering the ebb of his career. The reason why most fighters are brawlers is simply explained by the sheer level of testosterone in his system. In this fight, it seemed that Pacquiao had lost the will to fight or finish off his opponents.


IN this fight, Pacquiao was not as fast as before. Yes, he still has those lightning fast blows and jabs, but he was somewhat dragging his other feet when he was fighting. 


This dragging of the feet indicates a lost of power in his blows and jabs. Every boxing expert knows that the power you actually put in your fists comes from the ground up. When you are imbalanced, you loses power in your fists. That explains why Pacquiao was not able to unleash or finish off Bradley.


There were many instances where the Pacman stung Bradley but these were not enough to really finish him off. Two factors: one, Pacman's center of balance was off and two, Bradley's defenses shielded him from those powerful left straights and hooks. 


With all these, I think the judgment was fair. Bradley won due to his defenses, and the sheer number of jabs and blows which he connected. It was not a convincing win, but it is a victory nonetheless. 


This fight is a watershed in the life of the Pambansang Kamao. He should think and meditate.