Manny Pacquiao vs Timothy Bradley, Jr
At times, you wonder if Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley, Jr are too nice to be boxers. On Wednesday, in the prelude to the summation of this epic trilogy, Pacquiao and Bradley talked about each other like affable acquaintances; a press conference laden with adoration and mighty tributes, sometimes even wonderment. The buffoonery that so often marks such tempestuous occasions was almost absent: no trash talk, no mordant jibes, no fierce looking into the eyes. Just an uncomfortable overdose of veneration. It was so slack that you could have easily taken them for two chess grandmasters itching to sit down and get their hands on the board.
Perhaps that's what make this contest so great, even alluring. Two of the most gentlemanly boxers of their generation going at each other for the ownership of a disputed legacy; each trying to come out on top of a three-part affair that has so desperately been craving a finale.
When the two first met in 2012 for the WBO welterweight title, Pacquiao was the finest pound-for-pound fighter the world had ever known, a mix of intoxicating speed and impalpable technical brilliance. That Bradley won that night after 12 gruelling rounds was an upsetting example of judging shoddiness. Pacquiao remained humble in defeat; Bradley turned up at the post-fight press conference in a wheelchair. Such was the barrage of punishment the American had taken despite the win. Pacquiao regained his title through a unanimous decision two years later.
When the two meet at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday night, it will be the 37-year-old Pacquiao's last fight; the culmination of a career that has won him world titles in eight weight divisions and worldwide adulation. For Bradley, who is still 32, a second win over the Pacman will give his career an unfathomable boost.
It would have been fatuous to expect Bradley to beat Pacquiao when he was at his imperious best. Unfortunately for the Filipino, that is no longer the case. The American is a calculated fighter who can take a punch and return fire in plenty. As was evident in his fight against Floyd Mayweather, Jr last May, Pacquiao's speed has dwindled, the punches worryingly lighter.
What the world wants to see is the Pacquiao who hit Oscar De La Hoya with such sickening blows back in 2008 that the American's trainer was scared to send his man out after the eighth round. Or the Pacquiao that pulverised Ricky Hatton in the second round in 2009. Or the one that left Antonio Margarito blood-soaked and half-blind in 2010. If a Pacquiao even remotely similar to the one that we saw five years ago turns up, Bradley will be in desperate trouble.
The third installment of Pacquiao-Bradley is unlikely to be a whirlwind affair; it will be sedate, punctuated by the sporadic flashes of frenzy. No fighter will look for an early knockout. The judges' scorecard will come in handy.
Anthony Joshua vs Charles Martin
When Anthony Joshua's hulking frame frighteningly bounces around a ring, the world watches. If knockouts are heavyweight boxing's signature dish, then Joshua serves it out to his fans in plenty. Nobody made savagery look so charming. The scariest thing since Mike Tyson? Easily.
In December last year, Dillian Whyte became the first man to take Joshua past the third round, eventually getting battered in the seventh. In 15 professional fights, this was the first time a man had dared to fight back against Joshua; the first time the Brit was even mildly tested. Gary Cornish could only stand him for 97 seconds; Michael Sprott an equally embarrassing 86.
Whyte landed a couple of punches that would have knocked out most men cold. Not Joshua. In the seventh round, the 26-year-old unleashed a series of ferocious jabs, eventually sprawling Whyte, blood spilling and head throbbing, senses splattered all over the canvas. For once, Joshua had shown he could take a punch and then hit back, the kind of result that gives him the edge over the American Charles Martin when they clash later tonight for the IBF heavyweight title in London.
Martin, like Joshua, is undefeated. Just that his boxing ability does not allow him to land rip-roaring punches and make whopping ballets out of boxing matches. Yet, he is a formidable challenger. Martin's southpaw stance means that he'll be something that Joshua has never encountered before. But then Joshua's terrifying power and accuracy are likely to balance that equation out.
Martin is far from the one-punch knockout artist that Joshua has become in the last few years. He is threatening, but not eye-poppingly talented. He throws a decent punch but isn't powerful enough to floor a man the size of Joshua. Even then, Joshua faces his sternest examination; one if he overcomes will set him well on his way to boxing greatness. The bookmakers have Joshua down as favourite, but Martin can easily surprise. Both fights are available on pay-per-view.
