Pacquiao: No knockout, no problem
LOS ANGELES – If there’s one thing Manny Pacquiao failed to do last Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas it was to score a knockout victory over Timothy Bradley.
Pacquiao floored his American rival twice, first in the seventh round then in the ninth, but failed to score his first knockout win since his 2009 victory over the heavy-handed Miguel Cotto.
“I did my best,” said Pacquiao, now preparing to return home and share his victory with the Filipino people. He leaves Los Angeles Tuesday evening and arrives in Manila early morning of Thursday.
“But I’m happy with the result although every round I was looking for a knockout to finish the fight,” said Pacquiao, now enjoying sweet time with his family in their Larchmont Park home.
Two days after the fight, the doors to Pacquiao’s $2 million home was wide open. The whole day there was a long line of visitors, from the boxer’s relatives and friends.
But Pacquiao, now a retired boxing superstar, stayed confined to his large bedroom. He posted a picture on Instagram of himself in bed with his one-year-old son Israel.
By 11 p.m. visitors who had stayed behind were politely asked to leave.
During the post-fight press conference, Pacquiao said his right shoulder did not bother him at all. There were no ill effects of the injury he suffered last year.
Pacquiao said the shoulder worked perfectly alright and like brand new.
“No problem. The healing was really fast,” he said
“I wanted to use it. I was always looking to counter with it. But when I land my right hook he always backed off. He knew I will counter him,” Pacquoiao said. “I really felt fresh like in 2001,” he said referring to the year when he made his boxing debut on American soil, and knocked out Lehlo Ledwaba to win the IBF junior-featherweight crown.
Pacquiao used his right and left to put Bradley down for the first time in three meetings, the knockdown coming in the seventh round. But he failed to put on the finish.
In the eighth, Pacquiao said he tried to lure Bradley in, and took a few hits, and for a while it looked like he was reeling against the ropes.
Bradley won that round on all three scorecards.
Pacquiao said it was a ploy that paid off in the ninth round where he once again found the opening and put Bradley down for the second time with a short, crunching left to the face.
“I did that intentionally so he will come in and I can counter him,” said Pacquiao.
After the victory, the 37-year-old superstar begged the sport goodbye even if by himself he felt that he still has what it takes to compete at the highest level.
“About my body, I’m still okay and I can still give a good fight. I’m still okay. I’m not lazy in training. The aggressiveness and the hunger are still there,” he said. Freddie Roach, the trainer, readily agreed. “He hasn’t lost a beat,” he said.