Both the Timothy Bradley and Manny Pacquiao camps are becoming more confident as their April 12 fight date approaches. The first time the pair met, Bradley won after 12 rounds in a controversial split decision. As reported in The Guardian, the 115-113, 115-113, 113-115 defeat stripped Pacquiao of his WBO welterweight title, and talks of rematch began almost immediately.
Asked if he thought he won the fight, Pacquiao said "Absolutely," and even Bradley stated he had to go home and "watch the tape" to see if he had really won.
In a report by Bad Left Hook, Bradley's trainer, Joel Diaz, described the key to defeating Pacquiao again. "Manny, if you make him think, he doesn't know how to fight," he said. "But if you just come straight to him, he's going to demolish you. When he fought Margarito, Margarito was just coming forward. When he fought Cotto, Cotto was just coming forward. When he fought Joshua Clottey, Clottey was just coming forward. When he fought Ricky Hatton, Hatton was just coming forward. But when you make him think, and you've got footwork, he gets lost every time."
Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, told The National that a win over Bradley is a must. "In the history books you have to avenge your losses; you have to avenge your losses in life."
"We feel we got robbed in the last fight," Pacquiao added. "Now we need to be sure that we get the victory."
Bradley too is confident that a victory is eminent: "I have already beat Pacquiao once and that was on my first try," he told GMA News. "I don't think I have to knock him out to get a definite result, but if the knockout presents itself I will take advantage of it.
"This second fight against Manny Pacquiao, I will pick up right where I left off the first fight. This will just be rounds thirteen through twenty four."
