Despite coming off as the winner in his first match against Manny Pacquiao, Timothy Bradley is still considered as the underdog in the two fighters' upcoming rematch. Just like their match in 2012, Manny is still considered as the crowd favorite, Bad Left Hook reported.
This is clearly reflected in the betting odds for the upcoming fight. According to Pinnacle Sports, Pacquiao's market value stands at 1.474, which means he has a 67.84 percent chance of winning.
On the other hand, Bradley opens at 2.810, which translates to having 35.59 percent chance of emerging victorious in the fight. This is quite surprising considering the fact that the American boxer holds an undefeated record and won the two matches in between his first bout against Pacquiao and the rematch. Manny also had two fights after their first match, but lost one to Juan Manuel Marquez.
Notably, looking at the two fighters' knockout record can shed a bit of light on the Filipino fighter's popularity. In all of his 12-round fights, Pacquiao won 63% of them by knockout whereas Bradley's percentage is only at 22.
Over at Manny's camp, trainer Freddie Roach reiterated that they will be relying on Manny's speed, stamina and power to go the distance in the fight on April 12, GMA Network reported.
After witnessing Manny in his sparring sessions against Steve Forbes, Lyle Rhodes and Julian Rodriguez, Roach said, "He's ready to go."
Pacquiao's strength and conditioning coach agreed with the trainer and said, "His conditioning is very good. He is eating well and his weight is good."
But Fortune noted that Pacquiao knows that Bradley is not an easy opponent and will surely put up a fight. He commented, "This is not a cakewalk for Manny...You don't take somebody like him lightly. He [Bradley] has got a lot of heart and never-say-die attitude. He comes to fight and he has something to prove."