Former two-division champion and former Manny Pacquiao foe, Timothy Bradley, was on hand at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas to commentate the Top Rank on ESPN+ Eleider Alvarez vs. Sergey Kovalev II rematch on February 2nd.
A group of media members were on hand to ask the retired boxer turned commentator his thoughts on WBA welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao’s victorious performance at the age of 40, against the 29-year-old American challenger Adrien Broner.
Bradley who faced the Filipino Senator three times and went one win with two losses in their trilogy, wasn’t too impressed with what he saw with the eight-division champion.
Many reporters and fans were amazed at the energy and vigor the older Pacquiao showed in a one-sided victory over a much younger Broner, but Bradley said he saw something different, he saw slippage and age starting to catch up with his former adversary.
“Nobody is talking about the compression socks he (Pacquiao) had on his calves,” said Bradley.
“I’m sure he is having cramps and stuff and the first thing to go in a fighter is his legs. Broner had him reaching and lunging, he didn’t have his feet underneath him like he normally does. I was like this is a different Pacquiao to me.”
Pacquiao never had any issue with leg cramping on fight night, but he did have a flu or cold heading into the Broner bout.
Trainer Freddie Roach said Pacquiao was miserable the day of the fight and had a bad runny nose, and still performed impressively.
“That is a deteriorating fighter, a fighter that is finally getting over the hump and should be exiting the game sometime soon,” added Bradley.
Bradley who retired in 2017 warned the current WBA “regular” welterweight champion about going in the current crop of young welterweights.
“If he gets in there with one of those young killers, like an Errol Spence, or Terence Crawford or even a guy like Shawn Porter, it’s easy work for them.”
The 40-year-old Filipino boxing legend will continue to fight on despite Bradley’s critical assessment. He is looking to come back in either May or July of 2019, a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr., a fight with undefeated WBA super champ Keith Thurman, or the winner of Mikey Garcia vs. Errol Spence Jr. are all possible options for the future hall of famer.
