Manny Paqcuiao is still the main attraction for Top Rank Promotions and HBO boxing. Thus, his camp has been given the power to select their next opponent despite Manny not holding a title and losing 2 of his last 3 fights.
The two finalist for the April 12th fight in Las Vegas are WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley and the heavy handed Ruslan Provodnikov. Both fighters had amazing years in 2013 and their bout against each other is arguably the best fight of last year.
Provodnikov is still building his brand and fan base here in the United States, which makes him the underdog in this selection process. Manny’s last fight against Brandon Rios took place in Macau, China and had the worst PPV buys for many in over 5 years. Manny’s reported financial issues will probably be the determining factor for this match-up, because at this point of his career Manny needs the payday more than the best fight.
Tim Bradley made himself a household name in 2013 and is now a proven champion in one of the toughest divisions the sport has to offer. This fight would offer Bradley the ability to finally quiet the critics that feel he was gifted the first fight against Manny. Bradley is a different fighter than he was two years ago and they’ll be no running away from Manny in his game plan this time.
Manny on the other hand gets the opportunity to recapture his welterweight title and in turn inches closer to the fabled “Super fight” with Floyd Mayweather. A dominant performance would guarantee Manny more big money fights in the next few years, whether it’s against Floyd or not.
Bob Arum and Manny’s representatives are scheduled to meet tomorrow in LA to finalize the fight, so look for the official announcement to come sometime next week.