PACQUIAO vs BRADLEY III PREDICTION

The keys to Pacquiao vs Bradley III are unique and usually only noticed by those who are behind the scenes or true boxing aficionados.  Similar examples to tonight's fight have happened previously:

Back in the early 90's, the late great Emanuel Steward worked the corner of Oliver McCall against Lennox Lewis.  He insisted that McCall throw the 3-2 which was the left hook+right hand.  He found a way to fit it in the early rounds and KO'd Lewis and took the victory.  The difference was the Coach.

When Lewis re-matched McCall, he hired Emanuel Steward to coach him.  Long story short, he humiliated McCall and reduced him to having a meltdown in the ring.  Lewis won due to McCall basically quitting in the ring.  Once again, the difference was the coach.

The difference in tonight's fight is Atlas.  Bradley is a good listener and an excellent student just like the great George Foreman.  The night Foreman defeated Michael Moorer, which was Teddy Atlas's fighter, it resulted in a devastating upset because Moorer was a top heavy weight and Foreman was allegedly "over the hill".  This particular evening Atlas was out-coached.  This fight proved to be a much needed redemption for Big George Foreman for the fight in which he lost to Ali in Zaire.

Can you see there is something special brewing here?

For tonight's fight, my head says Pacquiao but my heart says Teddy. Speed and power go to Pacquiao. Being guided through this storm using angles, timing and a boxing playbook, goes to team Bradley.  Teddy pulls off a Houdini act.

But remember, all of this means nothing if Pacquiao has learned how to make the necessary adjustments.  However, recent past has shown that this has not been the case.  Freddy Roach was on the record saying he built a game plan for 5 years to beat Mayweather.  That did not turn out so well.  So, from a coach's perspective, that was either a lesson learned or it is just proof that Roach has reached his peak in coaching.  After all, unlike a "teacher", a coach stays within the confines of what he knows.  A "teacher", on the other hand, never stops learning, discovering & bringing new ways to elevate their fighter.  We will soon find out.

There's something to be said about the Coach.  Even Mayweather changed coaches after being hit too much against Cotto showing even the best need the best coaching for their game.  Once the right coaching falls into place, the sky is the limit.

For my fight aficionados:
How do you see this match playing out now that all of the evidence is on the table?

Coach Eric A. Bradley

CEO Master Boxing LLC
Contributor ESPN Insider

The Great Houdini Act

Some may think that having an idol close to you is a good thing. But what we sometimes fail to realize is when a person who is human looks at another person as godly, they will soon have their bubble burst and see the reality that lies beneath the root of the trees.

Adrien "The Problem" Broner is an amazing young talent who focused on nearly cloning the best P4P fighter in this era. Why was this a good idea? 

Could it be compared to Kobe Bryant nearly cloning Michael Jordan? In this instance, Kobe pulled the closest thing to a Houdini act as one could muster. It paid amazing dividends because as we all know, every time Jordan's name is mentioned, along comes Kobe's.

It all starts as a form of flattery for the "cloner" but then becomes addictive like tights do for Superman. The limelight gets bright but could you say that it also eliminates the essence and wherewithal of a human being? As seen many times in history, the conscience slowly leaves the body and you become some form of demi-god.

The ego is immensely influenced by this wave of attention. The expectations and the money that follows never slows this train's forward progress. Remember, no matter how happy or sad, there is no such thing as bad press.

Maybe someone should clone Tiger Woods.  After all, with today's power of social media, live streaming & sports apps one could easily be placed in the half a billion dollar lane.

The negative side for the person being cloned is that their work that had been built on a solid foundation is now smothered by doubts and comparisons.  This may inflame the athlete beyond anyone's expectations &/or understanding.

Friday April 1, 2016 in the D.C. Armory, Floyd Mayweather's worst nightmare came to fruition. The person who adored the ground that he walked on became his foe. Now he is marked with a decision to ignore his rants that will soar through social media and headlines until he gets a creditable response and or a pay day like never before.

If you truly want to look under a microscope at what has just happened, Adrien Broner was playing his truest enemy close by showering him with compliments and boosting his ego even further than it was. The fact of the matter is he was building his confidence to slay the former P4P King. It's the good ole adage "keep your friends close and your enemies closer".

In the true thick of things, Floyd knew this day was coming.  If you ask him, he would never address the reality behind the smoke and mirrors because in all actuality, he never wanted someone who idolized him to even believe he could grace the same ring with him, even in sparring. It's the stench from the enormous ego of a man. 

So as we move forward into these days of trial for Floyd, Leonard Ellerbee is already exhausted from making fight cards in mediocre venues.  Now, with Broner calling out Floyd last night, this gives Ellerbee & the entire Mayweather team their fix for dollar signs, another powerhouse promotion and an amazing night of lime mixed with lights ahead.

As we assess this situation through the magnifying glass, what would be the payoff for a fighter like Floyd to step back into the ring? Take the time to think about this topic because not only is 50 a record breaking number, it is also with the one fighter that has mimicked his style for his entire career just because he knew this opportunity would come.

He may be looked upon as immature at times, but Adrien "The Problem" Broner, has almost pulled off an act like the Great Houdini...

This fight was viewed upon as the biggest fight that could be made inside of boxing prior to Mayweather VS Pacquiao.  Now some may say it is the biggest fight for the lights of Vegas to be made.

This fight has the scent of a Sugar Ray Robinson vs Jake Lamotta. Broner now could be viewed as a magician and never let you see it coming. Remember, Kobe never got the chance to take Michael's crown. This is truly happening.

The biggest fight in boxing is brewing.  Floyd needed something to ruffle his feathers enough to make that leap.  A fight to expose & shut down the so called imitator would be just enough to do it...

#NowYouSeeMe #NowYouDont  

MB SPORTS MEDIA

Contributor
Bra VonLey

Ashley “Treasure” Theopane Is Ready To Solve Adrien “The Problem” Broner

**At the time of this article release, a warrant has been issued for Adrien Broner's arrest for assault and robbery.  By all indications, this bout will go on as scheduled. 

The “Treasure” has come a long way since his humble beginnings on the tougher side of the  tracks of a central London borough.   Starting his professional boxing career in 2003, Ashley sports an enviable record of 39 wins, 6 losses and 1 draw. The first ten years of his career was nearly self-made - without the benefit of a huge promotions company or world-class mentor that most top professional boxers have in their corner. Having learned from both his victories and defeats through the years, Ashley now exhibits the perseverance and humility of a seasoned warrior and a positive will to keep fighting for the top and improve his craft.  "My career shows that if you believe in yourself and never give up, you will get your opportunity. At that point, it's just up to you to take it.” Says Theophane (age 35). 

In one week from now, underdog Ashley Theophane (39-6-1, 11 KOs) will be in the biggest fight of his career with the opportunity to take it from the current WBA Super light welterweight champion Adrien Broner (31-2, 23 KOs) on April 1 at the DC Armory in Washington, DC. As boxing fans across the world tune in to view this bout, they may be wondering what makes this different from all the others. Ashley may be in his prime and have the backing of a very well-resourced Mayweather Promotions and, more importantly, the mentorship of retired boxing legend Floyd Mayweather himself, but is it enough to counter the size and power of Adrien Broner - who remains undefeated at this weight class? 

After having unsuccessfully stepped into the higher welterweight divisions with losses to Maidana and Porter within the past two years, Adrien is back at the lighter weight class (140lb) which he has so far dominated. However, it seems the distractions of trash talking (the back and forth with master trash-talker Floyd Mayweather) and even the legal troubles that have recently come to light (felony warrant in Cincinnati) put into question whether Adrien has really taken training camp seriously and is ready to counter the strategy of Ashley Theopane and the Mayweather team in his corner.  

Adrien has made his strategy pretty clear - a knockout within the first four rounds. However, history has shown that if a fighter can endure into the middle rounds (with Broner), then he (Ashley) can exploit by working the combinations, moving and preventing the holds and winning rounds. Porter was very successful with this strategy just last year - taking it to a 12-round unanimous decision and defeat for Broner. 

"The focus is to go in there and outwork him on fight night. At the end of the day I have to set the pace. I can't go out there and outbox him because he's got tremendous skill and speed. So I have to be able to go out there and outwork him and make it a war.” - Ashley 

From the all the video and press, Ashley seems intent to stay focused on the prize - refusing to partake in the trash talking circus that Broner has generated. If he can bring this command and focus into the ring on April 1st, then it will be the “Treasure” of London that humbles and solves “The Problem” of Adrien Broner. 

INFORMATION ABOUT THE BOUT: 

Theophane takes on super lightweight world champion Adrien "The Problem" Broner in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Spike beginning at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT. Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by About Billions Promotions and Mayweather Promotions in association with HeadBangers Promotions, are priced at $200, $100, $50 and $25, and are on sale now. To purchase tickets visit www.ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster locations or call (800) 745-3000.

By Ron Parungao

Boxing/MMA Correspondent

Master Boxing