MANILA, Philippines - Timothy Bradley Jr believes that Manny Pacquiao’s lone motivation for continuing to fight is money, and that his own hunger to be great will carry him to victory in their third fight on April 9 in Las Vegas.
Bradley, in a video interview with promoter Top Rank, said that Pacquiao has had his time and has nothing left to prove. The 32-year-old American Bradley (33-1-1, 13 knockouts) says he still has much to prove.
“I’ve already beaten Manny and I’m gonna beat him again,” said Bradley, referencing their controversial first fight in 2012, where Bradley won a debated split-decision.
“I’m a better fighter and I’m hungrier. Manny’s had his time to shine already, guys. He’s been fighting for many years, he’s getting older now. Manny right now is only fighting for money, that’s it. He already has his place in history as one of the best fighters. I don’t.”
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"Manny right now is only fighting for money." - <a href="https://twitter.com/Timbradleyjr">@timbradleyjr</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PacBradley?src=hash">#PacBradley</a><a href="https://t.co/fBazsS20Jc">https://t.co/fBazsS20Jc</a></p>— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) <a href="https://twitter.com/trboxing/status/712683169556762625">March 23, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs) has been guaranteed $20 million for this fight, which he says will be his last. Bradley’s purse for this fight hasn’t been disclosed yet but he made $6 million for their 2014 rematch, which Pacquiao won by unanimous decision.
(READ: Referee, judges named for Pacquiao vs Bradley 3)
Pacquiao, a Philippine congressman who is running for Senate in the general elections on May 9, says he will retire after 21 years as a pro boxer to focus on his political career, but not everyone is sold yet. Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach says his fighter is training like a man with a statement to make.
“I personally don’t know if this will be Manny’s last fight but he is training like it’s going to be his last fight," Roach said in an interview with Top Rank.
"Manny has achieved so much in his boxing career and if this is going to be his swan song I know he wants to go out blazing with a spectacular performance. He’s pouring everything into this training. If the opportunity for a knockout presents itself during the fight, he’s going to go for it. He knows how to close the show and he wants this show closed with fireworks. He wants to finish the book on his boxing career with a spectacular ending." – Rappler.com