Timothy Bradley: ‘Pacquiao is a dangerous fight for Crawford’

Eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao is still a dangerous fight for WBO world welterweight champion Terence Crawford even at the age of 42, according to former two-division world champion Timothy Bradley.

Reports of a prospective showdown between the two recently surfaced for a June 5 date in Abu Dhabi. While contracts have not been signed to finalize the bout, many are already dismissing Pacquiao’s chances against Crawford (37-0, 28KOs).

Having fought Pacquiao thrice and being Crawford’s ex-sparring partner, Bradley warned that it would be wise not to overlook the Filipino boxing icon.

“I've been in the ring over 36 rounds with that guy (Pacquiao) and I’ve been over a hundred rounds with Terence Crawford. This was early in Terence’s career. I understand he’s got a lot better from where he was when I did spar him but those tendencies are still the same,” Bradley told ESPN.

“Manny Pacquiao loves when guys pull back and that’s a problem. We also know that Terence Crawford gets hit early and he gets hit often early. Manny Pacquiao is a quick starter as well and he still has that blazing left hand that possesses a massive amount of punching power.”

Crawford is nine years younger than Pacquiao, considered in his prime, and will enjoy height and reach advantage over the latter. Though Bradley feels that the younger pug is a slight favorite over the Filipino, it would not be a surprise if the champ goes crashing to the canvas on fight day.

“This is a dangerous fight. I would slightly favor Terence Crawford, but at any point during the fight if you see Crawford touch the canvas or you see Pacquiao touch the canvas this is a real big deal fight for Crawford.” – JM Siasat/RC, GMA News