MANILA, Philippines—Contrary to perceptions, unbeaten American Tim Bradley is naturally bigger than Manny Pacquiao and will come in heavier than the Filipino ring superstar when they tangle on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Though Bradley (28-0, 12 KOs) is the reigning World Boxing Organization light welterweight champion, the 28-year-old South Californian has also fought as a welterweight and went as high as 152 pounds.
Bradley has been struggling to make 140 lb and believes he’ll be stronger at 147, where Pacquiao holds court as WBO welter king.
“It’s [147] is my natural weight,” Bradley told Ryan Burton of BoxingScene.com. Sunday. “People don’t know but in the amateurs I fought at 152.
“People say I don’t have power, but it is a real struggle to get down to 140. I walk around at 160 or more. I will be a lot more comfortable and have more pop at 147.”
Bradley said he intends to enter the ring at 150 or 151 lb, “give or take a pound or two.”
By way of comparison, Pacquiao walks around at about 154 and has never reached 150 on fight night.
In his last outing as a welterweight in 2010, Bradley handed Luis Carlos Abregu of Argentina his first loss in 30 fights. Abregu now holds a 31-1 record with 25 KOs.
A certified gym rat, Bradley stands to get his biggest paycheck ever of $5 million when he battles Pacquiao (53-3-2 with 38 KOs) in a 12-round bout to be shown on HBO pay-per-view.
Bradley got $1.2 million when he beat Joel Casamayor in the main support to Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez III won by majority decision by the Sarangani representative last November.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, is guaranteed at least $25 million, but is expected to receive much more with his share in PPV buys and gate receipts.
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