Pacquiao outpoints Bradley in likely farewell fight
Print Edition
MANNY Pacquiao beat Timothy Bradley by unanimous decision in the rubber match between the fighters on Saturday, prevailing in what the Filipino has said is the final fight of his career.
Pacquiao, who bounced back from a controversial split-decision defeat to Bradley in 2012 with a decisive win two years later, delivered the final blow in their welterweight clash in Las Vegas as all three judges scored it 116-110 in his favor.
With fans chanting ‘Manny’ at the conclusion, Pacquiao (58-6-2) maintained that he is heading into retirement and continuing his political career in the Philippines. “I have a commitment to my family that I’m going to retire after this and we don’t know,” he told ringside reporters.
“If you ask me about if I’m coming back, maybe I enjoy by being retired and serving and helping the people.”
After a slow start narrowly controlled by Bradley, the 37-year-old Pacquiao seized the momentum in the middle portion following a furious fifth round.
Pacquiao then caught an off balance Bradley with a right hand to the ear to drop him in the seventh, but the American surprisingly bounced back to hurt Pacquiao during the eighth.
From there Pacquiao wrested back control, highlighted by a right uppercut that dropped Bradley in the ninth. Bradley (33-2-1) continued to hang in for the latter rounds but appeared in trouble at the final bell.
“Every round (I was) looking for a KO but Bradley is a very good boxer,” Pacquiao said of the performance, which may go some way to helping cement his legacy after a disappointing fight against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather last May.
Meanwhile, Britain’s Anthony Joshua lived up to his billing as the new superstar of heavyweight boxing when he stopped Charles Martin in the second round with a demonstration of brutal power to claim the American’s world IBF title on Saturday.
Joshua became the first boxer in history to hold the Olympic super-heavyweight crown and a version of the world heavyweight title simultaneously with his triumph at the O2 Arena, a few miles from where he won gold at the London 2012 Games.
The 26-year-old handed champion Martin his first career loss to grab the title with his 16th knockout win in his 16th professional fight, putting him down twice in the second round.
Joshua reiterated that his ambition was to unify the heavyweight title, which will mean having to dispose of compatriot WBA and WBO champion Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, the American WBC champion.
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