https://twitter.com/ZProphet_MMA/status/719013547024506880
With a fantastic performance that kept Timothy Bradley at bay, Manny Pacquiao won an unanimous decision that will send him off into the sunset with the Las Vegas crowd cheering behind him. The rivalry and, in all likelihood, Manny Pacquiao’s career are done.
The rubber match between Pacquiao and Bradley for the vacant WBO International and vacant lineal welterweight titles was an entertaining affair that started off slow and picked up with each round. Bradley simply couldn’t get anything going against Manny, who put together quick combos to Bradley’s strong, but less impressive (and less frequent) body shots.
As the rounds went on, Bradley’s urgency to catch up on the scorecards would see him walk into the power of Pacquiao, getting him knocked down in the 7th round (above) and the 8th round (below).
https://twitter.com/ZProphet_MMA/status/719015298268061696
The first knockdown could’ve been a slip, but his gloves touched the mat, so it’s a knockdown in the rulebook. After the second knockdown, you could sense Bradley knew it was over if he didn’t land a huge shot and fought with a fierceness, winning on the scorecards despite Pac’s solid execution and gameplan. Manny, for his part kept his composure, and after 36 rounds between the two men, Manny got his hand raised 116-110 on all three scorecards.
And if you were wondering – Manny is still a huge draw.
#PacBradley 3 attendance: 14,665
For comparison:
2nd fight: 14,099 gate: $7,865,100
1st fight: 13,229 gate: $8,963,180— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) April 10, 2016
In 2012, Manny lost a split-decision to Bradley, which he then avenged with a unanimous decision in 2014. Of course, the specter hanging over this fight was the knowledge that this would be Pacquiao’s final fight, but it’s hard to trust a fighter to ever retire for good the first time around. If this was the end, it was a fitting cap to the end of his legendary career.
