Boxing: Does Anyone Care Manny Pacquiao is About to Fight?

There was a time, not really that long ago, when a Manny Pacquiao fight would generate all kinds of buzz. Media and fans would descend on Las Vegas, or wherever “Pac-Man” was fighting, and it was actually a joyous environment filled with anticipation. Everyone knew what they would be getting -- an action-filled fight from one of the best all-time dynamos of this generation.

Then Pacquiao had to open his mouth, and everything seems to have spilled right out.

This time, usual circus buildup and hoopla appears lost, as Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs) prepares to fight Timothy Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KOs) for the third time for the vacant WBO welterweight title on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It airs on HBO pay-per-view at 9 p.m. ET.

The overhanging marquee was going to proclaim this as Pacquiao’s “last fight.” Those two words were supposed to garner all of the attention. Instead, Pacquiao has had to deal with a fight he created: In mid-February, he blurted out that same-sex couples were “worse than animals” during a campaign run for a Senate seat in his native Philippines. The fallout was fast and impactful.

HBO, the network that has televised almost his most important fights, issued a statement: “Next month Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley Jr. are scheduled to meet in a Pay-Per-View bout. We have an obligation to both fighters and, therefore, will proceed to produce and distribute that event. However, we felt it important to leave no uncertainty about our position on Mr. Pacquiao’s recent comments toward the LGBTQ community. We consider them insensitive, offensive and deplorable. HBO has been a proud home to many LGBTQ stories and couldn’t approach this event without clearly voicing our opinion.”

Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, told Mitch Abramson of RingTV.com: “I think it’s reprehensible. I’m in favor of same-sex marriage. I’m in favor of gay rights. A lot of my friends are gays, particularly in California and Hollywood, so it’s very offensive to them and that’s what I’m most concerned about. The only way you do damage control is he apologized and we move away from the possibility that anybody would think we or Bradley or anyone connected to the fight believes in what he did say; and if [Pacquiao] believes it, it’s unfortunate but that’s his belief.”

What has obviously been lost in all of this mishmash is the fact that Pacquiao is old and his skills have deteriorated to such a point that Bradley actually has a shot to legitimately beat him. “Pac-Man” will be 37 when he steps into the ring, and he has gone 3-3 over his last six fights. Always the kind of fighter to take one to land two, he’s now the kind who’s taking three and four shots on already scarred-thin, cut-prone skin to land two.

---

After being dominated by Floyd Mayweather Jr. his last time out on May 2, Pacquiao required surgery to repair of torn right rotator cuff. It’s going to be 11 months since he last fought; and stepping right in against someone like Bradley, a volume puncher who will constantly engage him and stay in his face, does not help. In his last three fights, Pacquiao has thrown 563, 669 and 429 total punches, landing at a un-Pacquiao like 29 percent. A lot of that has to do with whiffing all night against Mayweather, but could the question be asked: Did “Money” simply expose a worn version of Pacquiao that has been lying dormant?

Add to that Bradley’s new addition, trainer Teddy Atlas, who will yank, pull, prod and poke “Desert Storm” to possibly heights he may not even thought were attainable. What you will likely see, for the true purist fight fan who will buy it, is Bradley pressuring Pacquiao from the outset and the Filipino great tiring late. What may make this terribly intriguing is Bradley stopping Pacquiao. A year ago, it was a farfetched scenario, but today, the once-beloved future hall of famer is in an unusual spot, not only for opening his mouth but suffering in the glowing eyes of his admirers the unavoidable scourge of all fighters: getting old.

In a bout billed as Pacquiao’s “last fight,” the fact is fans may have already seen his last fight when a truer version of Pacquiao chewed up Chris Algieri in 2011. In fight years, that can be a long time for someone shopworn like “Pac-Man.”

Joseph Santoliquito is the president of the Boxing Writer's Association of America and a frequent contributor to Sherdog.com's mixed martial arts and boxing coverage. His archive can be found here.