Pacquaio - Bradley (Technical thread)

Pacquaio vs Bradley




Below is my write up on tomorrow nights fight. Observations, and what I would want each fighter to do, both during their camp, and during the fight. Obviously this all just opinion so feel free to disagree and criticize. I won't take it personally.


Nuts and bolts on Manny Pacquaio :


Fights out of a southpaw stance but employs unconventional footwork to create punching angles.


More refined now than he was a few years ago. This is both a good and a bad thing.


Has lost some of the explosiveness in his legs.


Lack of defensive ability on the inside.


Has a corner man who may be slowing down.


Roach is fantastic at ignoring a fighters mistakes and identifying their habbits.




Nuts and Bolts on Tim Bradley :


Phenomenally conditioned


Probably slightly to top heavy.


Leads with his head.


Stamina to throw punches in bunches.


Moves mostly in straight lines.


Vastly inexperienced at this level






If I were training Pacquaio :




Manny Pacquaio is a superstar, I'd have to go against my natural instinct and try to compromise on certain things. For example, I wouldn't want him teaching bible class, or seeing a spiritual advisor. We are preparing for a sanctioned war, if you're worried about your soul then you may be in the wrong sport. As I said I'd need to compromise. One a week. Far out from the fight I would encourage Basketball. His legs are my main concern and the more work he gets on them, the better.


Target weight would be about 145lbs. We'd need to be a little bigger in the shoulders for this fight. Bradley will get close and he will lean in. I'd want Pacquaio to place his right shoulder on the side of Bradley's temple, and push off using his right shoulder, pivoting out with his left foot (Back foot) as he did so, this opens up a straight left hand shot. (Straight or uppercut.) I'd spend most of the physical conditioning time using flat sports cones, working on Pacquaio's legs and foot movements. Working through any pain barrier till one week before the fight. Everything would need to be at 100mph. (Too tired to type which specific exercises, I'll post tomorrow if anyone wants them.) I need Pacquaio to be back to his old self. He needs to be able to cover the ring in a few seconds. Bradley will close us down, and we need to out manoeuvre him.


Once we're in solid physical condition, it's time to work on tactics. I'd don the mitts, and the body protector and walk to Pacquaio quickly, but in a straight line, with a dip in my waist. We'd practice right hooking with the pivot out, as Bradley has a habit of dropping his left hand over and over. The right hook is the key. In cases where we do find ourselves pushed against the ropes, I'd have Pacquaio practice leaning back hard into the ropes (to give a few more cm's space) and come back with a left uppercut, sometimes to the jaw, but mostly to the solar plexis. That punch can be a fight ender. We need offensive initiative here.


This isn't going to be a damn jabbing contest, Neither of these can jab worth a dime. I'd have Pacquaio double and triple his jab, but only to occupy Bradley's thought process as he moves to his right, working Bradley into range for a straight left. If Bradley charges in, then grab his head and pull it down. Place your elbow above it and keep the point facing Tim. Prevent him from coming up with his head and catching us.


Spinning. Ref's don't like fighters spinning another. I don't care. A trick to rule breaking is that when a fighter violates a rule and pauses, it gives the ref time to process the infraction and act. However if you keep punching without any pause, then the thought will more often than not slip from the official's mind. Spin Bradley on to the ropes and exchange. If anyone is going down from a punch it isn't Pacquaio. Get Bradley to throw, and catch him with one he doesn't see coming. That's the one that knocks you out.


I'd tell Buboy to keep his mouth shut. Pacquaio needs one voice in his corner at the end of the round, and more importantly, one language. I don't want him having to translate between the two when he should be concentrating on recuperation.


I'd need to work on inside defence. Pacquaio can't block a damn uppercut. Bradley gets us against the ropes, and squares Pacquaio up, put up a guard, Winky Wright style, but turn your gloves outwards, with the palms open and facing downwards. If you see an uppercut coming then parry it, and use the opening the parry creates to move your feet and escape that position.


Feint to the body. I don't want too much body work from Pacquaio. He isn't a great body puncher and Bradley is made out of stone. Feint there to lower Bradley's guard and then use Pacquaio's speed advantage to land upstairs.




These are the key points I would focus on for Pacquaio.




If I were training Tim Bradley :


We'd have a 3 month camp. Not 4. We want to peak just before the fight, not a month early and seek to maintain.


I'd sit Bradley down and hide nothing from him. The way for us to win this fight is to be prepared to walk through hell. We're going to get hit, and we're probably going to get hurt; but if he has faith in his training, in his conditioning then he will pull through, and he will win. I'd also make a point of emphasizing the fact that this win changes everything. He can feed his family, probably for generations based on where winning this fight would take him. Having seen the 24/7's, I think he'd be inspired by this type of pressure rather than intimidated.


Road work is vital. Combat boots. Low altitude, and me screaming at him every step of the way. He thrives on discipline, and I'd show him that I'm there every single step of the way. We need stamina, we need twelve rounds of intensity, and road work is the way to breed mental toughness.


I'd strip some of the muscle off of his top half and put it on his legs. We need the base to be as explosive as possible whilst not having no restricted movement or speed up top. This isn't a pose down, it's a fight.


Head movement. This guy needs to move his damn head side to side. When we're practicing combinations on the pads, I'd occasionally throw my own straight punch. Simple concept, if Tim doesn't move, he gets punched. Learn the hard way. Offence does not exclude neglecting defence, especially not in this fight.


I'd have him cut the ring off and trap me in the corner, then do fast mitwork in a steady rhythm whilst talking to him. 'You're unbeaten, you've beat the up and comer Alexander, you've beat the old legend in Casamayor, now is time for the king, take him Champ, take his head off.' Bradley needs to belive he can take Pacquaio out, punch with authority and dictate the offensive rhythm of the bout.


Body! Morales took the sap from Pacquaio with a straight right, Marquez did it with a left hook. We're going for both. Use your upperbody to manouver Pacquaio against the ropes, paw with the jab, not to the nose but to the eyes, obscure his vision, and then wip a left hook followed by a straight right at Pac's body. Take his legs, make him vulnerable.


Lead with your head. No bones about it, if we cut him then we hurt him. Frustrate and infuriate him, Headbutt him, make it look accidental, whisper in his ear, tell him you meant it, you'll do it again, this is a fight, **** Pacquaio.


Stand on his foot. Trap him in place long enough to land a punch or two and change your standing position. If you stand on his foot, then he'll look down. It's a human reaction. Stamp on his foot and throw an uppercut. Time it right then his head will reel.


Point with your shoulder when Pac is on the ropes. When bull rushing Alexander, Bradley got so excited that he squared up, He can't do that here, keep discipline. Keep focus. Throw some punches then move half a step back at an angle, whilst moving laterally, draw Pacquaio into the lead and then come from underneath while his arm is extended. We need a balance between offensive momentum, and tactical superiority.


Those are the key points I would focus on for Bradley.






Very quickly...


I expect : Either a mid rounds Pacquaio KO, or a shady decision where Pacquaio is deemed to of landed cleaner shots, whilst Bradley has actually threw more.


I look forward to reading your thoughts.

 

He needs to fight compact :yep

And keep his damn left hand up all the time.

 

If he does, I don't see it being by design.

I honestly think he's going to rush in close and try punches in bunches. He won't be picking his shots ala Marquez, he'll be forcing them.

 

Thankyou Sir, you too.

Thanks. :good

Bradley dips his head which opens the oppertunity to use your sholder as a way to manouver some space, It works with a shorter fighter who stalks, rather than someone like Margarito.

(I don't re-call seeing another fighter do what I just described, so I'm patenting it :yep The Stoney roll)

As far as body punching goes, I thought about it and came to the conclusion that the last thing Pacqauio needs to do, is lower his own head, he needs a clear field of vision at all times. I agree he shouldn't ignore the body completely, but any prolonged focus would be silly, he's not a great body puncher by any means and Bradly looks like he can take them, the only purpose would be as mentioned, to make Timmy lower his hands.