Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KO)
vs.
Timothy Bradley (28-0, 12 KOs)
WBO Welterweight Title
Las Vegas, Nevada
MGM Grand
Despite being the far more accomplished fighter, Manny Pacquiao seems to be entering his welterweight title bout against Timothy Bradley as the fighter with something to prove. There is no doubt that he is also the fighter with the most to lose.
"I want to prove that I'm still young and I can still fight," the 33-year-old Pacquiao said before the welterweight bout. "I feel I'm still hungry, I'm still OK."
Pacquiao and his camp seem to be as preoccupied with impressing critics -- and perhaps a certain fighter locked up elsewhere in Las Vegas -- as with defeating Bradley. Coming off a relatively lackluster showing (by his own high standards) against Juan Manuel Marquez and being absorbed in controversy surrounding his newfound religiosity and comments against gay marriage, Pacquiao seems as vulnerable as he perhaps ever has. Despite having more career knockouts (38) than Bradley has career wins (28), Pacquiao was only made a 4-1 favorite by the oddsmakers. For his part, Bradley knows he most give it his all in order to upset his more famous opponent.
"It's all or nothing," said the 28-year-old Bradley, a striver who once waited tables to support his nascent fight career. "No rounds off. Round by round I have to win each one."
Will Bradley shock the world? Can Pacquiao show everyone that he's back at the top of his game? And will Floyd Mayweather Jr. be able to watch the fight from jail?
STAY TUNED FOR LIVE UPATES THROUGHOUT THE FIGHT: