Manny Pacquiao vs Adrien Broner
Manny Pacquiao is a legend in the business of boxing, but at 40 years old and way past his prime, the Pacman may have trouble fighting against the much-younger and aggressive Adrien ‘The Problem’ Broner.
Sure enough, Pacquiao is still the favourite—experience and awards count for something after all. However, Broner has something to prove, and he knows that only a win at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas is his best and perhaps last shot at redemption.
The Manny Pacquiao vs Adrien Broner fight is sure to entertain, and it is not wrong to expect plenty of storylines and controversies when all is said and done in this WBA Welterweight title bout.
Talking Points
Pacman in search of more glory
Pacquiao, eight-division world champion who ruled the boxing world until 2011, is back in the United States after a two-year hiatus.
Of course, he no longer looks the old Pacquiao that used to dominate Mexicans. His best days are behind him and his 15 wins in a row from 2005 to 2011 is almost a thing of the past—which only a few people will remember.
Nonetheless, it would still be foolish to write off Pacquiao in this encounter. Not after winning his latest fight against Lucas Matthysse in July this past year.
Pacquiao showed he still has some gas left in his tank and while he is now a step slower, his quickness is still one of his best assets.
His combination punches remain top-class and his head movements can be frustrating for opponents, as what fans have seen in his fight with Matthysse.
The Pacman may not be an efficient counter-puncher, but he is an aggressive fighter who likes taking the initiative on the attack. And that trait of him may work in his favour against the defensive-minded Broner.
Pacquiao said last December that the best is yet to come for him, and that should serve as a warning for Broner who declared a KO against the Filipino champion.
“I feel stronger and faster, and by God’s grace I am wiser at 40, feeling 25,” Pacquiao said, via Rappler.com. “I believe the best is yet to come. You have not yet seen the best of Manny Pacquiao.”
Many people believe that Pacquiao’s fight with Broner is a warm-up for his potential rematch with Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather.
Floyd already went out of retirement to fight Conor McGregor in 2017, and if there is some truth about a ‘Fight of the Century 2.0,’ then it’s all the more reason for Pacquiao to win and prove he can still put up a fight.
Broner looking to live up to his billing
Interestingly, there’s no better opponent for Pacquiao to show that he’s ready for Mayweather than Broner—once dubbed as the heir apparent to Floyd.
Broner is a four-time World Champion who, at 29-years-old, should still be at his prime. He is a defensive specialist like Mayweather and is a great counter-puncher.
The Ohio native is difficult to deal with, thanks to his ability to dodge and take advantage of missed chances. He also has a skillset that allows him to adapt to any fighting style.
Unfortunately, Broner’s past few matches haven’t been great. He lost three and had one draw in his last 10 fights, raising questions about his focus and priorities.
It didn’t help that the self-proclaimed ‘bad boy’ of boxing seems to be more concerned about what he does off the ring than on it.
Known for his controversial antics, Broner had several run-ins with the law, including charges of aggravated robbery and domestic violence.
His poor actions do not help him either. In fact, in their final presser, the Manny Pacquiao vs Adrien Broner news and headlines were all about the American’s racist remarks towards Filipino fans.
As mentioned, Broner has something to prove here. Besides, this is the chance for him to rewrite what has been an ugly and forgettable story for him. However, it remains to be seen if he can actually get things together and walk the talk.
History
Pacquiao owns a record of 60 wins, seven defeats and two draws. Known for his powerful punches, the Pacman won 39 of his fights via knockout.
His last win and knockout came against Matthysse, whom Pacquiao took down in seven rounds via TKO. Before that, the Filipino lost to Australia’s Jeff Horn via a questionable unanimous decision.
On the other hand, Broner boasts a record of 33 wins, three defeats and one defeat. As cited earlier though, those three losses and draw came in his last 10 bouts.
Broner last fought in November 2017 versus Jessie Vargas, the same man who bowed down to Pacquiao the year before that. Surprisingly, the eventual decision was a majority draw.
What are the odds?
The Manny Pacquiao-Adrien Broner odds at SBOBET is pretty straightforward.
Pacquiao is favoured to win, with a Draw No Bet on Pacman giving odds of 1.30. Broner is at a far off 3.38 for the same market.
Meanwhile, the fight is expected to go the distance, which means a knockout is an unlikely result. Odds at Over 10.5 rounds pay at 1.36, while Under 10.50 is at 2.85.
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