Bradley ‘in great, great shape’ for Pacquiao fight, says Arum

AFP

Bob Arum has seen them all.

But the Top Rank chief swore he was in for a surprise when he saw Timothy Bradley strut his stuff during an open workout in Indio, California, last Thursday.

“Bradley is in great, great shape,” Arum told his long-distance caller from Manila moments after eavesdropping on Bradley’s buildup with a little over two weeks remaining before his June 9 clash with Manny Pacquiao.

What made Arum’s jaw drop was the sight of Bradley’s imposing appearance.

“He is ripped,” said Arum, who has promoted many of the biggest fights in boxing stretching back to the days of Muhammad Ali in the 1960s.

Arum stressed that Bradley is indeed a real threat to Pacquiao that Top Rank has looked at the possibility of holding a rematch in case the Filipinos gets upset by the 28-year-old American puncher.

“We put that on the contract (of Pacquiao),” said Arum.

Arum said Bradley was called in to face Pacquiao because of his youth and his style and the level of competitiveness that he has.

“He is not a pushover,” added Arum.

Next week, two open workouts are scheduled in Los Angeles with Bradley facing the press again at the Fortune Gym in Los Angeles on May 29 and Pacquiao staging his own at the Wild Card in Hollywood on May 30.

Pacquiao will train at the Wild Card until June 4 and shortly after will head to Las Vegas.

The formal arrival rites for the two fighters takes place on June 5, followed by the press conference on June 6 and the official weighin on June 8.

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