Debut: SATURDAY, APRIL 5 (11:30 p.m.-midnight ET/PT)

Other HBO playdates: April 6 (10:30 a.m.), 7 (8:30 p.m., 3:00 a.m.), 9 (11:30 a.m., 6:30 p.m.) 11 (7:30 p.m.) and 12 (9:00 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: April 6 (12:30 a.m.), 9 (9:30 p.m.), 11 (1:15 a.m.) and 12 (3:00 p.m.)

HBO On Demand and HBO GO availability begins: April 8

Camps heat up with one week to go as Manny Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs) and Timothy Bradley Jr. (31-0, 12 KOs) intensify preparations before heading to Las Vegas for their title showdown.

The final edition of 24/7 PACQUIAO/BRADLEY 2 debuts THURSDAY, APRIL 10 (8:30-9:00 p.m.), two nights before the championship bout.

“Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2” takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 12 at 9:00 p.m. (ET)/6:00 p.m. (PT), and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®.

After the controversy of their 1st bout, a very important piece of business was taken care of as the official were named for the April 12 rematch between Timothy Bradley and Manny Pacquiao according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

The commission appointed veteran judges Glenn Trowbridge of Nevada, Michael Pernick of Florida and John Keane from Great Britain to score the fight. Kenny Bayless, regarded by many as the best referee in the world, was appointed as the third man in the ring.

“What the commission did was give us a whole list of officials that were being considered — judges and referees — and then we circulated it to both camps and we said knock out anybody that you feel may not be suitable,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, who promotes both fighters. “Then we had a phone call with (commission chairman Francisco Aguilar and commissioner Bill Brady last week) and said, ‘Here are the officials that both sides have no objection to,’ and out of that they selected three judges and the referee.”

Arum said the list he was initially given included eight or nine judges and five referees.

“Neither camp can complain about the officials selected because these are judges approved by both camps and same with the referee,” Arum said. “I really commend the commission for taking the steps that they did and with all the transparency in this. It’s the fighters who are most affected by this decision and now neither fighter can say anything whatever happens.”

The Nevada commission typically appoints at least two Nevada judges to major fights and also often brings in one out-of-state judge. For this fight, Arum said the commission went along with his request to bring in two judges from outside of Nevada.

“We requested that because there are so many good judges around the world why limit yourself to just Nevada,” Arum said.

Officials were also selected for the other fights on the HBO PPV card.

• Vic Drakulich will referee the regional lightweight title bout between Mexico’s Raymundo Beltran (28-6-1, 17 KOs) and two-time junior lightweight titlist Roman Martinez of Puerto Rico. It’s a particularly significant fight for Beltran, who is the No. 1 contender for the lightweight world title held by Terrence Crawford and could get a title shot with a victory.

The judges assigned to the bout are Burt Clements and Dave Moretti of Nevada and Craig Metcalfe of Canada.

• Tony Weeks was selected to referee the fight between junior welterweight titlist Khabib Allakhverdiev (19-0, 9 KOs) of Russia, who is making his second defense, and challenger Jessie Vargas (23-0, 9 KOs) of Las Vegas. The judges for the fight will be Robert Hoyle and Jerry Roth or Nevada and Glenn Feldman of Connecticut.

• Robert Byrd was appointed to referee the fight between interim junior lightweight titlist Bryan Vasquez (32-1, 17 KOs) of Costa Rica and Jose Felix (26-0-1, 12 KOs) of Mexico. The judges will be Dick Houck and Patricia Morse Jarman of Nevada and Levi Martinez of New Mexico.

HBO Sports’ groundbreaking “24/7” reality franchise looks at the upcoming world welterweight championship rematch between Manny Pacquiao and unbeaten titleholder Timothy Bradley Jr. with 24/7 PACQUIAO/BRADLEY 2, debuting tonight (midnight-12:30 a.m. ET/PT), immediately after the “HBO Boxing After Dark” doubleheader that begins at 10:00 p.m. Spanning three weeks, the three unique programs offer inside access to the two elite fighters and their camps as they prepare for their high-stakes welterweight title showdown April 12 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Other HBO playdates: March 30 (noon) and 31 (10:30 a.m.), and April 1 (8:30 p.m.), 2 (4:30 p.m.), 4 (3:05 a.m.), 5 (2:30 p.m.), 11 (7:00 p.m.) and 12 (8:30 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: March 30 (12:35 a.m.) and April 2 (9:30 p.m.), 4 (8:00 a.m.), 11 (12:45 a.m.) and 12 (2:30 p.m.)

HBO On Demand® and HBO GO® availability begins: April 1.

“Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2” takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 12 at 9:00 p.m. (ET)/6:00 p.m. (PT), and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®.

BOB ARUM: Thanks, everyone for getting on the call and before we start the call we are going to give everyone a real treat. We are going to play the song called “Champion,” performed by the famous Fashawn. He will sing that song leading Tim Bradley out of the dressing room April 12, on the night of the big fight. So without further adieu, let’s play the new his song, for the first time anywhere… (listen to :20 of the Tim Bradley’s walk-out music. Entire recording is attached)

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Training camp is going great. Are you guys ready for this?! April 12 is going to be a great night for everyone involved on HBO Pay-Per-View. It’s the second time around. Tim Bradley versus Manny Pacquiao or Pacquiao versus Bradley – however way you guys have got it. I have had a sensational training camp so far and i am going to finish up pretty soon and the fight is on, man, I can’t wait.

JOEL DIAZ: Nothing different (for this fight). The only difference is, you know, we are going to ruin the party because all the odds are against us. Tim Bradley has that in mind. But we don’t really feel that is import and, I’ll be honest with you, everyone is going to WIld Card to see how Manny Pacquiao has been training — great — and “he is in great shape and great preparation,” but nobody comes around to Tim Bradley’s gym to see how he is doing. But in a way I like that because curiosity sometimes puts a little fear. Because nobody knows how Tim Bradley is training. He is very ready to come to Vegas and ruin the party for a lot of people. But this it is going to be very decisive and there will be no doubt. This preparation is going to be not much different but now we have unfinished business.

Bob, you have promoted your share of rematches – anything special about this one?

BOB ARUM: Of course it is special, because the first fight ended in a decision for Timothy Bradley and a lot of people thought that the decision could have gone the other way and that could be debated endlessly so the rematch gives a definitive answer to who is the better fighter.

Do you still feel you have something to prove even after your two big wins against Provodnikov and Marquez?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Absolutely, I have a lot to prove in this fight, and number one is that the first fight was not a fluke. There were a lot of things that happened in the first fight that weren’t right. This time I will be 100% ready. I have gained a lot of experience from my last two fights on HBO and HBO Pay-Per-View — one in particular, the one against Marquez, who is a great champion and a great fighter, legendary. And the fight against Provodnikov, the Fight of the Year. So I am a different fighter now. A different beast – a different animal this time around and I am going to prove to the fans and everybody watching. I got the win but it felt like I lost because I didn’t get any credit from the fans and it’s important to get the credit from the fans. I feel I need to showcase myself and win by a large margin.

When things happened in the first fight? What do you mean?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: I am talking about my feet. That’s all I am talking about.

Even after your two big wins, do people come up to you and talk about the Pacquiao decision?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Not at all – that has all died down now. They know the fight is coming quickly and they can’t wait for this fight. It is going to be sensational and it’s going to be one of the best fights this year. I am telling you man, both of us have a lot to prove in this fight, man. The reason why Pacquiao really needs to win this fight – because if he loses this fight, think about it – his career might be over. I really need to win this fight because of the controversy of the first fight. You know “I beat him, I beat him, I beat him,” but this time I need to beat him more decisively because of the fans so they can give me the credit for it.

Is this going to be the Bradley we saw against Provodnikov where you just went to battle or are we going to see the Bradley who fought Marquez, who won a good fight but boxing?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Everybody is going to have to tune in to see which Timothy Bradley is going to show up. I am not going to give away my game plan right now. Everyone knows what Manny Pacquiao is going to do. He is going to try to bring the fight to me and I am just going to show everyone it is not going to work.

Do you feel the rematch is taking place at the right time and not immediately and being forced on the people?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: I think that everybody thinks I am a quality fighter right now and my status is completely different than it was in the first fight. I wasn’t really known in the first fight – everyone was like who is this guy? Now having won the 2013 Fight of the Year and beating Marquez, who knocked out Pacquiao in an unbelievable 2013 – I think the fight is even bigger right now than it was in the first fight.

BOB ARUM: Because of the controversy in the first fight, if we had done an immediate rematch I think most of the time being spent by the media would have been on ‘was the first fight fixed?’ therefore getting a second fight and now you don’t hear any of that because obviously the fighters went on to do their thing against other opponents. Now we have a great fight and there is no adverse commentary as to any kind of manipulation in the first fight.

Do you have to guard against being reckless knowing you feel a need to prove something?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: The one thing I have learned is to not be reckless and not get away from the game plan and listen to my corner, so that won’t happen in this one. That fact, of me fighting hard and with my determination and my will, and because I want to win this fight with no questions. We have a game plan and I am going to go out there and execute my game plan and that’s that. When I fight in the trenches or a war, or I go outbox Manny Pacquiao – I will win no matter what.

Can you talk about making sure Tim stays on point?

JOEL DIAZ: It took a couple of fights to learn that every fight is an experience. Looking at his previous fight he knows that when he goes on his own and does what he feels like he gets in trouble. When he follows the game plan and listens to the instructions in the corner he is always in good shape. So with that being said, after the Provodnikov fight, he learned there are ways you can approach your opponent but at some point you have to be smart. On that day it was more of a mad Tim Bradley – he had a lot of anger in him because of the way the media and the fans approached him (regarding the Pacquiao fight). That was an experience and I don’t think that will happen again. In this fight, regarding the controversy, I know that Tim has all of the weapons packed up and ready to go for the fight. I know if Tim needs to go inside and brawl he is going to do it. If he needs to outbox Pacquiao he is going to do it. We are ready for everything – we are leaving nothing behind. I am going to be watching very carefully in the corner and if he listens to my instructions, he will be fine. There are going to be times when he is going to be on the outside and times when he will be on the inside and that all depends on Manny and what he’s got and we make adjustments. If Manny’s going to bring it we are going to be ready. If he’s going to hold back and box, Tim’s going to be ready. There is nothing we are going to be surprised about – we are going to have everything ready.

Do you think the knockout to Marquez affected him?

JOEL DIAZ: Every fight will leave a mark on your career. When Marquez knocked him out that really left a mark on his career. We saw a lot of differences in Manny Pacquiao. Manny Pacquiao is a fighter that brings it. He comes to destroy the opponent. He had an opponent in front of him that he could hit, even with his eyes closed and couldn’t finish him. According to him, he was compassionate and he didn’t want to finish him and that was very surprising. I know if somebody comes and kicks me in the chest I know that Timothy is going to make the guy pay for it, you know? But he became very compassionate so we’ll see what he does on that night with Tim Bradley.

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: I have seen it way before that. The first fight we had he said he was compassionate. He carried me through the fight and he never really trained that hard and made-up every excuse in the book. Pacquiao is going to be vicious. I think I pissed him off. I got under his skin by saying that he lost it. He’s been training hard and I heard throughout the grapevine he has been looking sharp – and that’s his job, he needs to be at his very best. And I have been working hard too, so we can put on a show for the fans and that’s what it’s all about.

What did you learn about Manny in the first fight?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: I was able to make adjustments and I was able to move and Manny had problems with me when I was moving. He is expecting me to move around this fight and he is getting ready for it. He is going to be in tune for every movement I do. But they also say he is ready for the war too, so we have to wait and see. There has been a lot of talking man. I just can’t wait to get into the ring and showcase my talent and to put on a great show for all of the fans watching around the world on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Can you talk about the Nevada testing – your first time doing it?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Just to clear things up – Manny didn’t care what testing we were doing. He was willing to do VADA or WADA so there was no argument as far as the testing goes. I just chose to do the VADA testing to stick by what I have tried to set out to do and that’s to clean up the sport and making sure that a lot of these guys are getting tested. The NSAC decided they didn’t want to do VADA representing us, they wanted to do the same that we did in the Marquez fight – WADA which was very successful in that fight so they wanted to stick with it and not mess around with VADA. I am doing double testing just to prove to everybody that I am a clean fighter and am willing to do whatever with hard work and dedication, which is how I got to this position.

Many boxing experts have been picking you to win this fight – why do you think that is?

JOEL DIAZ: I really don’t know man. I just think from my experience I think that a lot of the writers and the boxing people that know, they see Manny Pacquiao at his age – everybody sees that Manny Pacquiao is at the end of his career. He has fought the best fighters out there. Now they see that he is diminished. And after the knockout in his last fight with Marquez they saw a downfall in him and after Bradley went to war with Provodnikov – a heavy hitter, by far the heaviest hitter he as ever fought and went into the fight and beat Ruslan and came back and beat Juan Manuel Marquez at his own craft. I think they are putting the numbers together. Bradley has gained a lot of confidence, he is in the prime of his game right now – so they see TIm Bradley winning.

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: He said pretty much everything I thought. I think everybody has seen me grow in the last two years and they see how confident I am and my ability. I fought two different styles and I was able to come out victorious so a lot of people are definitely getting behind me right now and they feel that Pacquiao is declining and this is my time.

Do you feel you are the most disrespected undefeated champion in the sport today?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: No, absolutely not. I don’t feel I am disrespected. I honestly feel that the boxing world knows who I am. The boxing fans know who I am and they respect me. I don’t feel disrespected at all to be honest.

Do you feel you have gotten credit?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Maybe before because it’s all about – show them my craft and just fighting – that’s what it’s all about. Fighting the best fighters out there and beating them. That’s it. I came up the hard way. I came up through the back door. Now I have had a Fight of the Year and two incredible wins. I think now fans are beginning to gravitate towards me and before they didn’t know me. And after the controversy, they really hated me like I had anything to do with it. I didn’t have anything to do with anything. I’m not a judge – I just went in there and did my job. At the end of the day all I’ve got to do is continue to win and they have no choice.

How are you health wise? Are you 100%

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: There is nothing to be concerned about regarding my health right now. I am 110% right now. There is not a fighter that goes into the ring that is not 110%. I am mentally and physically dialed in for the fight on April 12.

By mentioning that Manny has lost his fire – do you feel you are getting into his head?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Well, when was the last time you saw him knock somebody out? It’s been a long time. Then he had a guy sitting in front of him, he was a tough guy — Brandon Rios — I have a lot of respect for — but he was right there in front of him and he couldn’t get rid of him. He is supposed to be one of the vicious punchers in the game. I have never seen Manny Pacquiao take a step back before – I think it was the last round of the Rios fight and he had RIos trapped in the corner and you saw Manny take his foot off the gas pedal and it was unbelievable to me. In our fight, I had two wounded feet and he couldn’t take me out. What makes you think he can take me out with two good feet? I had two wounded feet and that’s when I started noticing – he has the ability, man – now don’t get it twisted as me saying he doesn’t have the fire or the passion – Manny Pacquiao used to come in blazing and knock guys out, just knock them out and he didn’t mess around. Now it looks like he is more compassionate towards his opponents and that’s not good for boxing.

How much does being undefeated mean to you?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Being unbeaten is a great accomplishment, but it’s not everything in boxing, honestly. I feel that fighting the best fights and going the fans what they want is the best thing for you and your career. A lot of guys that are legendary have losses on their records but they fought the best fighters in the world and that’s what is important to me – I want to be one of the best fighters in the world. I want to fight the best out there because I want to be the No. 1 fighter in the world – and that’s what is important to me. Maintaining my health is great but every dog has his day. This next fight – I may lose this Manny Pacquiao fight, but you never know. Things happen in the ring when you least expect it. It only takes one punch to end the night and we know that. At the end of the day, my 0 doesn’t really mean that much to me. It’s just there. I have beaten everyone they have put in front of me, that’s all it means but I just want to fight the best.

Since you say that, how badly do you want to fight Mayweather?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: It’s not how badly I want to fight Mayweather. Mayweather already knows I will fight him any day and any place. It’s how bad Mayweather wants to fight me. Whether or not I fight him my career is going to go on and my legacy is going to keep on building. Whether he is there or not, I am going to keep on winning against the best opponents out there.

Are you worried your legacy will say you didn’t fight the No. 1 guy?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: At the end of the day, Mayweather is his own boss and if he wants to see me, he can come see me. I’ve got people that work for me and are building me – my wife who is also my manager, Todd duBoef, Top Rank, HBO and if Mayweather wants to come see me… He’s his own boss and he says that over and over and over. If he wants the fight to happen then so be it. I will never shy away from the best and Mayweather is the best right now. At the end of the day everyone is going to want to see the fight, but the business side of boxing is totally different and it’s not our fault, it’s just the way it is.

Have you had any concussion symptoms lately?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: No, I didn’t feel anything at all. I have had help regarding that and I am 100%. You saw the Marquez fight – there was no problem. I felt like I was at my best that night. No problems, no symptoms, I’m good, 100%.

You weren’t 100% against Manny, and mentally not 100% against Provodnikov, yet won both fights…

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: That just says that I am one tough cookie. Even on my worst day I am hard to beat. So when I am 100%, it’s going to be harder to beat me. I am so mentally tough no one can break me. I have said it many times and said it to his face – if he does not knock me out he is not going to win.

What was your best night? When everything went right against a quality opponent?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: The Marquez fight because Marquez is one of the best counter-punchers in the game and I outfought this guy and out-counter-punched him. And Marquez has been in there against all the best fighters in the world. Everybody – Mayweather included. Manny hasn’t been in there with Mayweather – Marquez has. That was a sensational boxing lesson I put on Marquez that night and it was one of the best moments I have had in my career. I had fun in there. I enjoyed how I was working and I enjoyed the fight and what I did in the ring.

Do you feel you can win a clear-cut decision against Manny Pacquiao?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Yeah. At the end of the day all I can do is my job and that’s it. I can’t worry about judges – can’t be worried about what it this and what is that. That’s not my job to worry about any of that. The fans are going to scream out if something is not right. The fans are going to tell everybody what’s not right. Isn’t that what happened in my fight, the controversy? Everyone is like you didn’t win. I won the fight. I wasn’t the one judging the fight. Everyone said I didn’t win the fight. I didn’t win. I didn’t get any credit. I lost the credit form the fans. I lost the credit from the world. I lost the credit from boxing by beating this guy. And I am going to beat him decisively this time. No questions asked. I want it to be to a point where nobody can say ‘who you got?’ No I want everyone to be able to say “Bradley won the fight.’ That’s it. ‘Bradley clearly, handily, won the fight.’

JOEL DIAZ: Well, at the end of the night, if Timothy wins the fight clearly, and they give it to Manny, the world will know. Winning the fight decisively and giving the world what they want to see. If the fight is close and it goes the distance, of course, Manny Pacquiao is a favorite in every angle and of course we expect that. That’s why we are working extremely hard to not let that happen. We want to make this fight decisive and we want to beat Manny Pacquiao decisively. Walking out of that ring that night and if Tim Bradley beats Manny Pacquiao and the world sees that and we walk out of there with a defeat at least people can see exactly what happened. We take that into consideration; going into another close decision won’t be in our favor. They have big plans with Manny Pacquiao and boxing is not only a sport it is a business. But they are trying to count Tim Bradley out and they can’t. I am telling the whole world right now – TIm Bradley is going to come April 12 and he is going to ruin a lot of peoples’ party by beating Manny Pacquiao again.

Do you feel the two fights you’ve had since Pacquiao have helped you?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: I thought that fight [against Provodnikov] was just pure heart. I was in a bad place mentally for that fight. That’s the reason why I fought the way I fought that night with the controversy I went through and that was my first fight back. I felt like I had a lot to prove to the fans and to myself and prove to the world that I am a true champion that belongs at the top of boxing and that’s the reason why I fought that way. I wanted to showcase what I was made of. I learned a lot from that fight going into the Marquez fight. They offered me the Manny fight but, after that crazy fight with Provodnikov, there was a light shining on my career and I wasn’t ready to visit that dark light just yet. Give the guy that just knocked him out. Everyone thought I was crazy. They said, ‘dude, are you insane?’ I talked to Todd and he said, ‘I’ll make it happen.’ He made it happen and I went back to the drawing board and basically working on my craft and listening to my corner and staying disciplined. It worked out well. I came in and beat Marquez and now I know what I am capable of doing. If I need to dig down deep I know I have it in there. If I need to outbox the guy I know I have it in there. There is nothing I cannot do in the ring. I have the whole package. The only thing I may lack is, and I have fought a lot of great fighters, is power.

After the Provodnikov fight everyone thought you were damaged goods…

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: That’s what they thought. I am not damaged goods. I am still one of the top fighters in the game. I am not damaged goods whatsoever. It’s how you bounce back that makes you a champion. I went and got some help and now I am 110%.

After beating Marquez, you claimed the No. 3 spot of pound-for-pound…

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: That was spontaneous because I believe at that time they had Marquez and No. 3 behind Andre Ward and Mayweather. I just beat him. And after that Ruslan Provodnikov picked up the belt and I beat that guy and I told everyone he would be world champion. So I told everyone without question I am No. 3 because I just beat the No. 3 fighter in the game.

Do you feel disrespected being billed as the No. 2 guy on the card?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: Listen, boxing is not only a sport it is a business as well. All parties need to understand that. It could have been Bradley-Pacquiao, but my team and I, we worked together to put on the best possible show to make sure that everybody included – my team, Top Rank, HBO – is happy with the results at the end of the day.. They came to me to ask me and I said I don’t have problem with it. I know Pacquiao is a big name and everybody knows it so Pacquiao-Bradley is OK. And I just basically negotiated everything else that I wanted to be treated like a champion. I want to walk out second. I want to be announced second. I want to pick my corner. It is all part of negotiations, that’s what it’s about and I have no problem with it. I know Sergio Martinez has a problem with it but Cotto is the name. Just like Floyd Mayweather-Canelo – Canelo was the champion but who is the bigger name?

How has your sparring gotten better over the years since Joel Diaz has gotten more notoriety?

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: The more guys the better. The more the merrier. It’s not only great for me but everybody in the gym is working together to accomplish the same thing – becoming a world champion. We all feed off each other which is fantastic. Sparring is always fantastic and we always have 3 or 4 guys that come down and work and help and guys that come from out of town that help us work as well. We get ready for every aspect of the ring and that’s how we do it. It’s fantastic that he has all these young fighters – even the ones he is starting off fresh that just came from the Olympics. He’s going to groom them into champions and it is fantastic to see.

Final Thoughts…

BOB ARUM: That was a great conference call today. I am very excited about the fight – it is going to be a very competitive fight. People are going to get their money’s worth and I think they are also going to be excited to watch this undercard action – we have some really top guys in two title fights. It’s going to be a great night of boxing and I hope to see everyone fight week in Las Vegas leading up to April 12.

JOE DIAZ: We are finishing our preparations and TIm Bradley is ready to go. If the fight was this week he’d be ready to go. He is on weight and he is determined and he has a big smile on his face and we are just waiting for April 12. I hope everyone comes to our workout at Fortune Gym in Los Angeles because no one comes to our gym to see him train, so you can see him over there.

TIMOTHY BRADLEY: I am just excited for this opportunity and I’m very glad that we all came to terms for this. Thanks for everything, Bob. I want to thank HBO Pay-Per-View and I want to thank you guys. I want to thank the MGM Grand for bringing us back. I’m happy to be here and I’m very excited for this event and I am inviting everyone to come out to watch the fight on April 12. It is going to be one fantastic night. This fight is going to be fantastic and I want all the fans to come out and be a part of it.

*******************

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 will take place, Saturday, April 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

When Pacquiao and Bradley rumbled the first time, on June 9, 2012 at MGM Grand, Bradley’s hand was raised via a controversial split decision, ending Pacquiao’s welterweight title reign as well as his seven-year, 15-bout winning streak. Though both fighters claimed victory neither was satisfied. Destiny may have played a hand in their first battle but it will be survival of the fittest that determines the winner of this exciting rematch.

Remaining tickets for Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 are priced at $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges. There will be a total ticket limit of 12 per person with a limit of 10 per person at the $1,000, $800, $600, $400 and $250 price levels and a limit of two (2) per person at the $150 price level. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

24/7 Pacquiao/Bradley 2 premieres Tomorrow, Saturday, March 29 at Midnight ET/PT — on HBO. Show 2 debuts Saturday, April 5 at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT and show 3 debuts Thursday, April 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT two nights before the high stakes welterweight title bout.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #PacBradley to join the conversation on Twitter.

LONDON (March, 28) – BoxNation will get its extensive coverage of Manny Pacquiao’s megafight with Tim Bradley underway with a host of top build-up shows kicking-off tonight.

The pair collide at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on April 12th looking to settle an old score following a controversial meeting back in 2012, when Bradley was handed a decision many felt was not warranted following Pacquiao’s apparently dominant display.

Ahead of the exciting bill live on BoxNation, ‘The Channel of Champions’, is delighted to be bringing fight fans the most comprehensive build up starting tonight at 7pm with the free-to-air showing of “Face Off With Max Kellerman: Pacquiao/Bradley 2”.

“Face Off” gives a gripping insight into both men as they square-off across the table answering Kellerman’s questions, offering them the chance to address each other and their fans ahead of their eagerly anticipated battle.

Following this, BoxNation is excited to be able to bring viewers the multiple Emmy award winning 24/7 series previewing Pacquiao/Bradley 2, with all three episodes of the glitzy behind-the-scenes shows airing free-to-air on the channel.

The premiere of the smash hit reality franchise featuring the two pound-for-pound stars, as they give watchers unique access into their camps, will debut on Tuesday April 1st at 7pm, with episode two a week later on Tuesday April 8th at 7pm and the finale on Friday April 11th at 7pm.

Timings: “Face Off With Max Kellerman: Pacquiao/Bradley 2” airs on BoxNation tonight (Friday March 28th) at 7pm. With Episode 1 of “24/7: Pacquiao-Bradley 2” on Tuesday April 1st at 7pm, Episode 2 on Tuesday April 8th at 7pm and Episode 3 on Friday April 11th at 7pm.

Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky Ch.437/490HD & Virgin Ch.546) on Saturday April 12th. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Diaz and Mayweather vs Alvarez.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 one off registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

HBO Sports’ groundbreaking “24/7” reality franchise, which has captured 17 Sports Emmy® Awards and produced 18 multi-part boxing editions since 2007, looks at the upcoming world welterweight championship rematch between Manny Pacquiao and unbeaten titleholder Timothy Bradley Jr. with 24/7 PACQUIAO/BRADLEY 2, debuting SATURDAY, MARCH 29 (midnight-12:30 a.m. ET/PT), immediately after the “HBO Boxing After Dark” doubleheader that begins at 10:00 p.m. Spanning three weeks, the three unique programs offer inside access to the two elite fighters and their camps as they prepare for their high-stakes welterweight title showdown April 12 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Show # 1

Debut: SATURDAY, MARCH 29 (midnight-12:30 a.m. ET/PT)

Other HBO playdates: March 30 (noon) and 31 (10:30 a.m.), and April 1 (8:30 p.m.), 2 (4:30 p.m.), 4 (3:05 a.m.), 5 (2:30 p.m.), 11 (7:00 p.m.) and 12 (8:30 a.m.)

HBO2 playdates: March 30 (12:35 a.m.) and April 2 (9:30 p.m.), 4 (8:00 a.m.), 11 (12:45 a.m.) and 12 (2:30 p.m.)

HBO On Demand® and HBO GO® availability begins: April 1.

This debut edition chronicles the road the two fighters have taken since their controversial first meeting in June 2012 and shows how they view their rematch.

The second edition of 24/7 PACQUIAO/BRADLEY 2, debuts SATURDAY, APRIL 5 (11:30 p.m.-midnight) and the third show debuts THURSDAY, APRIL 10 (8:30-9:00 p.m.) just two nights before the championship showdown.

“Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2” takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 12 at 9:00 p.m. (ET)/6:00 p.m. (PT), and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®.

LONDON (March, 26) – Pound-for-pound ace Manny Pacquiao will be back on British screens next month when he battles WBO welterweight world champion Tim Bradley live and exclusive on BoxNation.

The world’s biggest and best dedicated boxing channel will air the eagerly anticipated rematch taking place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on April 12th, adding yet another mega showdown to its jam-packed roster.

The news comes hot on the heels following the announcement that the ‘Channel of Champions’ will also screen Floyd Mayweather’s May showdown with Marcos Maidana, which also features Amir Khan’s ring return against the highly respected Luis Collazo.

The initial clash in 2012 between ‘Fighter of the Decade’ Pacquiao and Californian Bradley, ended in much controversy with the American winning a highly contentious split decision.

Both fighters went their separate routes following the bout, with Filipino Pacquiao sensationally knocked out against Juan Manuel Marquez in their fourth meeting before bouncing back in style against the unrelenting Brandon Rios late last year.

Bradley on the other hand has grown since the pair’s first encounter, recording a win over the electrifying Ruslan Provodnikov, in the 2013 Fight of the Year, followed by a split decision victory over the Mexican legend Marquez.

Their April showdown will go a long way to answering the many questions that have arisen since they locked horns two years earlier, with the eyes of the boxing world set to be fixated on two of the very best pound-for-pound fighters when they do battle once again.

“I want my title back and I am prepared to endure my hardest training camp ever to win this fight against Tim Bradley,” said Pacquiao. “It is very exciting to be returning to Las Vegas. And as always, I dedicate this fight to my countrymen throughout the world and to bring glory to the Philippines.”

“This fight is to get the credit I did not get the first time,” said Bradley. “I must beat Pacquiao as convincingly as I beat Juan Manuel Marquez.”

“Tim Bradley is one of the toughest guys in the world and I saw that up close when he fought Ruslan Provodnikov last year,” said Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, who worked Provodnikov’s corner. “Tim looked even better in beating Marquez in his last fight. Tim is the champion and Manny and I know we have our work cut out for us to successfully challenge him on April 12.”

“This is a fight which will give us peace of mind after the controversy of our first fight,” said Bradley’s trainer Joel Diaz. “We have to win and make it clear. It’s not going to be easy for Pacquiao if he thinks he can beat Bradley. I will guarantee that.”

“At long last a competitive superfight,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “I am sure the sports books in Las Vegas are gearing up for huge two-way action.”

Pacquiao-Bradley 2 joins BoxNation’s April schedule which also features the man known as ‘The Alien’ – Bernard Hopkins – who, at 49, puts his IBF light-heavyweight world title on the line in a unification matchup with WBA Super champion Beibut Shumenov.

Plus, the exhilarating Carl Frampton returns to the ring as he takes on Hugo Cazares in a WBC super-bantamweight world title eliminator with the victor facing off against Mexican kingpin Leo Santa Cruz.

Juergen Braehmer and Enzo Maccarinelli also go head-to-head in April for the WBA light-heavyweight world title, before BoxNation brings you the stacked Mayweather-Maidana bill which, in addition to the main event and Khan-Collazo, will see Adrien Broner take on Carlos Molina and rising star J’Leon Love against Marco Antonio Periban.

Even more top action features on BoxNation with heavyweight sensation Tyson Fury taking on the sturdy Dereck Chisora in a WBO world title eliminator on July 26th.

To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky Ch.437/490HD & Virgin Ch.546) for only £12 a month (plus a one-off registration fee) visit www.boxnation.com.

-Ends-

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Diaz and Mayweather vs Alvarez.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 one off registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

BOB ARUM: Good morning everyone, this fight has been eagerly anticipated, a lot has been written about it. The two fighters are extraordinarily dedicated to their profession. From everything I hear I think this is going to be a monumental fight and from talking to Freddie and Manny and from watching at the Wild Card that many will be 100% prepared and will give a vintage Manny Pacquiao performance on April 12.

FREDDIE ROACH: Training is going really well. The training in the Philippines went real well. Manny sparred quite a few rounds and just getting the work in. We have five different sparring partners and whatever Bradley brings to the table we will be ready for.

MANNY PACQUIAO: Good morning everyone and thanks for joining me on the call today. I would like to say that training is going very well and I’m sure you will see a good show on April 12.

Tim Bradley has been talking about the fact you may have lost your hunger and won’t be able to get it back…

MANNY PACQUIAO: Yes, I know. I assure you I still have the hunger to win and my desire to win is as strong now as it has ever been. His talk about me has inspired me. It has provided me great motivation in my training.

Do you still think about the decision versus Bradley and how do you feel about it?

FREDDIE ROACH: I don’t get mad. It’s part of life, winning and losing. Revenge is great and that’s what we have a chance to do here we get to reverse that bad decision and get the win here. Hopefully if everything goes well and we fight the right fight we will knock this guy out.

How do you feel about the first fight and do you need to change the strategy for this fight?

FREDDIE ROACH: The thing was it was so easy for Manny in the early rounds that in the later rounds he wasn’t throwing combinations like he usually does. He was just throwing single punches and kind of going through the motions. He thought we was very much ahead, of course, but we needed to be fighting aggressive three minutes of every round and if we fight at a fast pace like that we’ll be able to stop Bradley somewhere during the middle rounds along the way.

Manny, how do you feel when you look back on that fight?

MANNY PACQUIAO: I’m not angry after the decision. The officials did their best and no one is perfect in this world and sometimes they make mistakes. It’s part of boxing. I wasn’t really bothered about it after the fight. When I went home, most of the people were not negative – they were positive about the fight – most of them thought I won the fight.

Do you feel the need for a knockout to put the bad decision to rest?

MANNY PACQUIAO: We are not focusing on the knockout. We are focusing on being more aggressive and throwing a lot of punches – and if the knockout comes, it comes. I just want to prove that I can have the hunger that it takes to get the job done.

Is the tax situation a distraction?

MANNY PACQUIAO: About the tax situation, there is nothing for me to worry about because I did not hide anything. So I am not worried about that.

Have the actions in the Ukraine – specifically Klitschko finding out it is a lot more difficult than he thought, it being much tougher than boxing – deterred you in politics?

MANNY PACQUIAO: Politics is a lot different than boxing. It’s different than sports. Politics is about the nation and the people. There is no way to compare politics to boxing.

Bob, Manny still seems pretty calm about the decision, what do you think?

BOB ARUM: Manny is a pretty sensible guy. That decision was two years ago. You are not going to change the decision, you just go on with your life and you do the best you can in the fight that will take place on April 12. So why would you get worked up about a decision that took place two years ago. It was what it was and now you move on. Duane Ford is no longer judging. C.J. Ross retired in disgrace after another crazy decision and hopefully the Nevada commission will appoint judges from all over the world for this fight that will give a fair result if the fight doesn’t end in a knockout.

What have you learned from Bradley in his last two fights?

FREDDIE ROACH: Bradley is a very tough guy. He takes good shots. He has a good chin. He fought concussed against Ruslan and he didn’t know where he was – I don’t know if that’s a good think or a bad thing – I don’t know if that will show in this fight but if Manny puts enough pressure on him and land some hard shots it will affect him and I think it will be in our favor.

Because of the Bradley decision, do you think that Manny was being overly aggressive in the Marquez fight, which got the best of him?

FREDDIE ROACH: Well, the thing was he just stepped in a little too soon and he got caught and that’s par of boxing. The thing is, I’m not going to take his aggressiveness away from him and in his last fight he fought a very aggressive fight. He might have been able to finish him (Brandon Rios), he hurt him a couple of times but we didn’t jump in so quickly so we did learn some things from that fight. But we are going to fight our fight.

What about the judges for April 12?

BOB ARUM: I don’t know exactly when but we have circulated to both camps, a big list of proposed judges and given the camps the opportunity to knock off referees and judges and I have an 11:00 AM call, we have no Executive Director, so with the Chairman, Cisco Aguilar, to give him the results of the input from both camps and then I think the Commission has a meeting in early April where they will actually select the referee and judges.

Do you feel you have to go for a knockout?

FREDDIE ROACH: We don’t go into fights looking for knockouts, if you do that it’s not going to happen. Knockouts come with combinations – it’s a little bit of a bonus and the thing is we are going to fight this fight our way. We plan to beat him every round and if a knockout comes, it comes but we are not going in there looking for a knockout, because again, if you go in there looking for a knockout you’ll be waiting all night.

If you fight Bradley like you fought Clottey and Margarito with that game plan…

FREDDIE ROACH: No, because one bad decision doesn’t change everything in life and doesn’t change our game plan. We are going to fight that is similar to our last fight –stay very busy and throw combinations and in-and-out. We’ve got a good game plan and Manny’s doing very well with it. We are not going to make any adjustments as to who the judges are because that is out of our control.

How have the judges affected your ability to go in the ring and relax compared to how you fought when you lost that decision to Bradley?

MANNY PACQUIAO: I am not thinking about the judges. I always believe in the decisions of the judges. What I want to do is focus in the ring and focus on the strategy and techniques that we practice in the gym.

Does your religious beliefs affect your attitude in the ring?

MANNY PACQUIAO: No, the religion is a personal thing in my life and fighting in the ring, it’s boxing. It’s my profession. God always gives me strength. In the past I didn’t knock my opponent out – it’s competition – sometimes you knock the opponent out and sometimes you don’t. We cannot predict.

Freddie, do you believe Bradley is in the same class as Manny as a fighter?

FREDDIE ROACH: He is a very good fighter. He is tough and resilient. I don’t think he has all the abilities that Manny has but he is a solid fighter, yes.

Would you ever fight in New York?

MANNY PACQUIAO: I would love to fight in New York, yes. It depends on my promoter Bob Arum. I cannot dictate his strategy – he is the boss and he can talk about the promotion. Wherever the fight is, I will fight.

BOB ARUM: You have to understand that Manny is a foreign national and if he fights in New York he has to pay state tax, city tax, unincorporated tax which comes to fourteen percent. Because he is a foreign national he can’t take a credit for any of those taxes. So the penalty for fighting in New York, if Manny’s earnings are $20M, is as much as $3M. So the difference between fight in Nevada, which has no state taxes, and fighting in New York is $3M. Now it’s conceivable, if somebody is going to make up the difference that he could fight in New York. But why should it come out of his pocket. If someone would want him to fight in New York and change the ridiculously high taxes in New York, or they subsidize his tax bill in New York, that’s how I see it. Now Floyd Mayweather has the same problem – he lives in Nevada where there are no state taxes – so if he pays taxes in New York he doesn’t get a credit to his state taxes because he pays none in Nevada. So it’s well and good to say, why doesn’t he fight in New York, but it becomes a real problem. But if you’re Puerto Rican or Californian, you could fight in New York because California has a big state tax and you get a dollar for dollar credit against your state tax for the tax you paid in New York, and Puerto Rico is the same. This is not an easy situation. New York, as even the Governor Cuomo, has said, is chasing away a lot of business because of the tremendously high tax rates.

Do you feel Bradley is trying to get into your head by questioning your heart and desire in the ring?

MANNY PACQUIAO: I wouldn’t say that. The more he says it the more it inspires me to show the hunger and the killer instinct he is talking about. It’s good for me, but not for them, I think. I am not angry or disappointed about what he says to me but I’m happy that he has told me that because it inspires me to train hard and to focus in the gym on my game plan and focus on the fight. It is a benefit for me.

What do you think has changed in Bradley since you fought him and he has since won two big fights?

FREDDIE ROACH: He has always had a lot of heart. He’s just a very willing guy and he is in very good shape. For his fights he does what he is supposed to do. He boxed well against Marquez and he beat a good fighter. What he will bring to the table against Manny is what he brought against Marquez – he likes to exchange a little bit also, so when we get into an exchange we will have to take advantage of that moment.

MANNY PACQUIAO: I don’t think his style has changed. He has improved since our last fight. Against Tim Bradley I will fight my best and watch him when I get in there. I can match him in boxing skills or if he decides to go toe-to-toe. I am not worried about that because I know his style and I can adjust my style for any style that he may change.

Manny, have you watched the Bradley Marquez fight?

MANNY PACQUIAO: I have not watched the Bradley vs Marquez fight. I was not surprised that Bradley won and won by decision. That is what I had predicted. Bradley obviously fought the better fight and boxed Marquez. I assume Marquez just could not overcome Bradley’s skills and youth and there was no way Bradley was going to go toe-to-toe after his battle with Ruslan Provodnikov.

MANNY PACQUIAO: I do not think Bradley will fight toe-to-toe with me either, so I will have to hunt him down. I am prepared for that. I am not going for a knockout but if the opportunity presents itself, I am going to go for it this time. Bradley’s talk that I am no longer hungry has inspired me throughout this training camp. As Freddie Roach keeps saying every day in training, “No Mercy.”

In closing…

BOB ARUM: I am really excited about this fight. Manny is coming win with a whole new attitude – you are going to see the best of Manny Pacquiao. And Tim Bradley is not the same Tim Bradley that fought Manny Pacquiao two years ago – he is a much more confident fight and he is used to the big stage – he is prepared to do a tremendous fight and those of us who saw him against Provodnikov and Marquez know what a complete fighter he is. So I am looking forward to April12, I think it will be a classic battle with a lot of fireworks and I think people will really enjoy the event.

MANNY PACQUIAO: I than everyone for giving me this chance and I thank my promoter Bob Arum and Top Rank and I would like to invite everybody to watch on April12. There is going to be a lot of boxing and it is going to be an historic fight. Thank you all so much for your support and prayer. God Bless.

********************************

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 will take place, Saturday, April 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

When Pacquiao and Bradley rumbled the first time, on June 9, 2012 at MGM Grand, Bradley’s hand was raised via a controversial split decision, ending Pacquiao’s welterweight title reign as well as his seven-year, 15-bout winning streak. Though both fighters claimed victory neither was satisfied. Destiny may have played a hand in their first battle but it will be survival of the fittest that determines the winner of this exciting rematch.

Remaining tickets for Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 are priced at $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges. There will be a total ticket limit of 12 per person with a limit of 10 per person at the $1,000, $800, $600, $400 and $250 price levels and a limit of two (2) per person at the $150 price level. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

24/7 Pacquiao/Bradley 2 premieres This Saturday! March 29, at Midnight ET/PT — on HBO. Show 2 debuts Saturday, April 5 at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT and show 3 debuts Thursday, April 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT two nights before the high stakes welterweight title bout.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #PacBradley to join the conversation on Twitter.

By Bart Barry

Tuesday the WBC’s official Twitter account posted a picture of Roberto Duran embracing the late Esteban De Jesus, a picture I retweeted excitedly. Saturday, May’s edition of The Ring magazine arrived, and while it bore a cover photo of Timothy Bradley and Manny Pacquiao beneath a title that read “The Rematch Issue,” it might well have included a subtitle like “The Roberto Duran Appreciation Issue.” On page 20, Anson Wainwright captured Marvelous Marvin Hagler thrice citing Duran in his “Best I Faced” feature, declaring Duran the best Hagler faced in three of 10 categories, including its most important. On page 80, Thomas Hauser published the results of a 26-expert poll that, when asked to determine the greatest modern lightweight, found definitively in favor of “Las Manos de Piedra.”

The photo of Duran hugging De Jesus has a spontaneous sheen to it belied today by a realization nobody might have had, in April 1989, a smartphone with which to snap it. A camera was present when Panama’s greatest celebrity, some months after decisioning Iran Barkley to become the WBC’s middleweight champion, visited the bed of Puerto Rican Esteban De Jesus – the man who gave Duran his career’s first loss, in Madison Square Garden in 1972, and dropped Duran on the canvas for the first time in Duran’s professional career too, in round 1, a feat De Jesus repeated 2 1/2 years later in their rematch, a fight Duran won by 11th round knockout.

Four years later, Duran and De Jesus fought a third time, and Duran, concluding his reign of terror over the lightweight division – his record was 62-1 (51 KOs) when he vacated the WBC and WBA titles and moved to welterweight – stopped De Jesus in round 12. Before the fight Duran said he did not like De Jesus “for a lot of reasons” but then, once pressed, conceded to Sports Illustrated’s Pat Putnam, “mostly because he is the only man ever to beat me.” De Jesus, a bad man by any workable definition, got the better of Duran in prefight quotes, imparting gratitude for what he declared evidence of Duran’s squeamishness:

“I tell him that I will fight him in the street anytime for nothing,” De Jesus said. “He ignored me. For this I am glad, because I need the money.”

De Jesus murdered a man named Roberto Cintron Gonzalez 3 1/2 years later, 16 months after retiring from boxing, and was still in a Puerto Rican prison when symptoms of the AIDS virus led to a gubernatorial pardon allowing him to return to his family to die from a disease it is believed he acquired from sharing needles with a brother who also died of the AIDS virus. It is important, for context’s sake, to revisit for a moment the pre-Magic Johnson era in which Duran comforted De Jesus. It is not nearly enough to say little was known about how the disease was spreading; I recall distinctly my parents, educated and openminded folks in a suburb of Boston, deciding to forego anniversary meals at their favorite restaurant, cancelling a 10-year tradition, because the restaurant was gay-owned, and well, what if one of them inadvertently came in contact with the food?

It is impossible Duran knew any better how the HIV virus was spread, and yet there he is in as aggressive a display of humanity as one might find in a decade of searching. There is no politician’s curled lower lip or straight-armed show of hand-holding compassion. It is Manos de Piedra, instead, his arm thrust beneath his former opponent’s withered body to wrap him in a lover’s desperate embrace and ensure Esteban wherever death took him, he would go swaddled in his friend Roberto’s arms.

The photo, and the text of my retweet of it – “¡Puro Duran (Pure Duran)!” – sent me spiraling back in the 15rounds archives for Roberto Duran’s Magical Realism, a column I wrote nearly eight years ago when Duran’s shortlived tenure as a promoter, the ‘R’ in DRL Promotions, brought the Panamanian to Phoenix for an inaugural press conference that comprised more fighters than media in a fortuitous twist that allowed The Arizona Republic’s irreplaceable Norm Frauenheim and me an opportunity to converse with Duran, nearly as good a raconteur as a fighter, through more than 40 minutes of absurd and absurdly engrossing stories. Norm was through his third decade at the craft by then and didn’t hesitate to call the encounter with Duran a highlight of his time covering boxing. I was not yet in my 15th month of boxing writing but suspected something time has confirmed: The conclusion of those 40 minutes, at which I wore the scent of Duran’s cologne for the number of times he embraced me, held euphoric a moment as boxing writing would provide.

It is Duran’s enormous humanity that makes one feel ownership of his career even at a distance from it as large as mine. When I opened the plastic wrapper of The Ring on Saturday afternoon, anxious to see whom Marvelous Marvin Hagler, my all-time favorite fighter, told Anson Wainwright was the “Best I Faced,” I did not even remember Hagler and Duran had fought and expected various allusions to Thomas Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard. To see Hagler call Duran – whom Hagler faced very near the top of Marvelous’ powers as middleweight champion, in Duran’s 82nd prizefight, one that happened 25 pounds above Duran’s prime weight and came after a 5-3 stretch that saw Duran decisioned by someone named Kirkland Laing – the “Best Overall” Hagler faced induced in me a brief and totally unexpected spike of euphoria, one whose height exceeded its brevity.

Sixty pages later, Thomas Hauser’s “Greatest Modern Lightweight” poll found Duran running away with the prize, scoring 23-percent better than runner-up Pernell Whitaker, 34-percent better than Floyd Mayweather and more than 100-percent better than Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. Combined.

Or as the legend likes to put it: “¡Roberto Duran es extraordinario!”

Bart Barry can be reached via bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

March 21, 2014 – Leading up to the highly anticipated world welterweight title rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley Jr. – set for Saturday, April 12 and presented live by HBO Pay-Per-View® – HBO Sports will present the exclusive replay of two compelling showdowns that highlight the remarkable skill and will of these competitors.

On Friday, March 28 at 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT) and Saturday, March 29 at 10:00 a.m. (ET/PT), HBO2 will replay Pacquiao vs. Bradley I 2012 and Bradley vs. Provodnikov 2013 back-to-back. On June 9, 2012 in the bright spotlight of Las Vegas, Timothy Bradley Jr. won a controversial split decision over Manny Pacquiao, igniting a hot debate in the boxing community that triggered public demand for a rematch. Last March in Carson, CA, Bradley displayed a part of his skill package that hadn’t been seen before when he prevailed over hard-charging Ruslan Provodnikov in a 12-round slugfest that went on to earn 2013’s “Fight of the Year” honors from the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Both fights will also be available 24 hours a day to HBO On Demand® and HBO GO® subscribers beginning Monday, March 31 through Wednesday, April 30.

Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 takes place Saturday, April 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

March 22, 2014 – Fight fans eager for a unique inside look at the highly anticipated April 12th HBO Pay-Per-View® world welterweight championship rematch between undefeated 147-pound title-holder Timothy Bradley Jr. and the world renowned Filipino sensation Manny Pacquiao should mark their calendars to catch an all-new edition of “Face Off,” starring the two prizefighters. “Face Off With Max Kellerman: Pacquiao/Bradley 2” debuts tonight at 11:45 p.m. (ET/PT) on HBO.

Moderated by Max Kellerman, “Face Off” is an insightful and often gripping interview session in which the two fighters square off and answer Kellerman’s questions. The fighters also get the chance to address each other and their fans in this engaging format.

A “Pacquiao/Bradley 2” extended version of “Face Off” is set to air multiple times on HBO and HBO2 (schedule below). “Face Off” will also be available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the program.

HBO air times include: Tonight (11:45 p.m.), 25 (8:15 a.m. & 3:15 p.m.), 29 (12:30 a.m.), 30 (12:30 p.m.) and April 1 (2:00 a.m.), 2 (7:45 p.m.), 5 (2:15 p.m.), 7 (8:15 p.m.), 9 (9:15 a.m.), 11 (6:30 p.m.) & 12 (10:30 a.m.).

HBO2 air times include: March 23 (10:30 a.m.), 27 (1:00 p.m.,6:15 p.m.) 30 (1:05 a.m.) and April 1 (11:40 a.m.), 4 (10:30 a.m.), 10 (9:45 p.m.), 11 (12:30 a.m. & 2:15 a.m.) & 12 (4:30 p.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

“Face Off With Max Kellerman: Pacquiao/Bradley 2” kicks-off four consecutive weeks of original programming and features surrounding the first mega-fight of 2014. It culminates when Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 takes place Saturday, April 12 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The fight will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. (March 18, 2014) – After completing his first week of training camp at his Hollywood-based Wild Card Boxing Club with Fighter of the Decade MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO, Hall of Fame trainer World-Famous FREDDIE ROACH had a few observations he wanted to share as they prepare for their rematch challenge of undefeated World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY. Pacquiao-Bradley 2 will take place Saturday, April 12, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT:
“Manny started the week a little slow due to jetlag but finished off strong on Saturday. He was just brilliant in his sparring on Saturday. His footwork was effortless, his hand speed was blazing and his power is as good as it’s ever been.

“We are training for big game in this fight. Manny knows he is going to have to hunt Bradley down and close the show this time. The first fight with Bradley was so easy for Manny that after six rounds he just took it easy on him. Not this time. Our Mantra is ‘Close the show. No mercy.’ You don’t have don’t have to be a groundhog to know that Bradley’s days as welterweight champ are numbered. It’s Last Call for Bradley on April 12.

“Manny is really motivated for this fight. We decided no matter how many fights we have remaining, we are determined to run the table and win every one. And when it is over it is going to be as world champion. And that can only happen with a total and absolute victory over Bradley.

“Bradley says he fought Manny last time with two bad feet. I don’t remember him coming into the ring in a wheelchair. He hurt his feet when Manny connected his power punches on him. Manny hit Bradley so hard it broke his ankles.

“For Bradley to say ‘Manny doesn’t have the hunger anymore and it’s never coming back’ and ‘Manny no longer has his killer instinct,’ that tells me that Bradley is still suffering from the concussion Provodnikov laid on him.”

Pound for pound titans PACQUIAO (55-5-2, 38 KOs), the lone congressional representative from the Sarangani Province in the Philippines, and defending world champion BRADLEY (31-0, 12 KOs), of Palm Springs, Calif., will go mano a mano in their eagerly-anticipated WBO welterweight championship rematch. This will also be Pacquiao’s first fight in the U.S. since 2012.

When Pacquiao and Bradley rumbled the first time, on June 9, 2012 at MGM Grand, Bradley’s hand was raised via a controversial split decision, ending Pacquiao’s welterweight title reign as well as his seven-year, 15-bout winning streak. Though both fighters claimed victory neither was satisfied. Destiny may have played a hand in their first battle but it will be survival of the fittest that determines the winner of this exciting rematch.

24/7 Pacquiao/Bradley 2 premieres Saturday, March 29 at Midnight ET/PT on HBO. Show 2 debuts Saturday, April 5 at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT and show 3 debuts Thursday, April 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT two nights before the high stakes welterweight title bout.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, remaining tickets for Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 are priced at $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges. There will be a total ticket limit of 12 per person with a limit of 10 per person at the $1,000, $800, $600, $400 and $250 price levels and a limit of two (2) per person at the $150 price level. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
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For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #PacBradley to join the conversation on Twitter.

By Bart Barry
A few weeks back I did something I rarely do: I made plans to attend a Las Vegas fight, Timothy Bradley versus Manny Pacquiao on April 12, without having much of an idea why. What follows, then, is an effort to understand better my interest in this event.

If there was a hint of the overrated about Pacquiao going into his first match with Bradley in June 2012 at MGM Grand, a hint that became still more than a clue six months later as Pacquiao laid on the same blue mat, facedown and motionless, there is a similar if somewhat more subtle hint of the overrated about Bradley as we head to April 2014. I believed in his third match with Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao was credited with punches that didn’t land, footwork that didn’t exist, and power that didn’t remain. Is that why I scored close rounds for Bradley in June 2012? Sure, yes, guilty.

In retrospect, that match might have gone either way but should have gone to no man widely. And yet. Spurred by an irresponsibly lopsided broadcast, complete with an unofficial scorecard that told few truths, a large number of persons to this day think the decision for Bradley was farcical. It was not.

While Manny Pacquiao looked considerably better in his final conscious rounds with Marquez six months later, able to land punches more cleanly, certainly, than he’d been able to land them on Bradley in June or Marquez in any of the 35 rounds that followed his three-knockdown blitz of the Mexican master way back in 2004, the probability is that Marquez was more open to be punched because Marquez – perceiving with a preternatural predatory precision – took note of Pacquiao’s eroded reflexes, married those to a powerfully newfound belief in his illgotten new physique, and looked to make offensive ploys he’d not have dared pursue in their 2008 rematch. It’s not that Pacquiao was suddenly a much better fighter for a few rounds in December 2012 than he’d been in June or the previous December – his defense hadn’t improved a jot, as evidenced by gloves unnaturally folded beneath his body in perfect serenity at the end of round 6 – just that Marquez was emboldened by how much less Pacquiao was then than the guy he’d spend 108 minutes being punched by in bygone fights.

There is an argument to be made Pacquiao’s reflexes dulled sometime during his Silly Season, the two-year stretch, 2009-2011, between his match with Miguel Cotto and his third fight with Marquez. The reduced competition did this, yes, along with an improved risk-to-reward ratio and the decadence that wrought, but there may have been, too, the sockdolagers Margarito put on his body and, perhaps most to the point, the brutality of Pacquiao’s sparring with campmate Ruslan Provodnikov.

“Siberian Rocky” is in a different class; veteran writers will describe the way a world champion sounds on handpads as opposed to a career challenger, but much of that is show, and none tells of a chin. The sound of Provodnikov’s fists on Mike Alvarado’s body in October, though, was in a different class and far more telling than handpad tricks because, well, Provodnikov had to throw those punches under the rational assumption a world titlist might endeavor to punch him at the exact same moment, and assumptions like that scumble one’s commitment.

Provodnikov is relevant, here, because he is the one man, apart from Marquez, whom Pacquiao and Bradley have in common, and while Marquez iced Pacquiao in a special sort of way, one would almost prefer the cutting of the lights to what excruciating happenings must compose rounds opposite Provodnikov on a blue mat. Almost always the term “most feared” is a marketing slogan applied by someone who has never fought to a client who never makes big fights, but Provodnikov should be called most feared by any and all; he is the man who shortens careers and changes men, compromising the very fabric of their identities, and if Timothy Bradley never again sells it out to fight like a noble fool, Provodnikov will be the reason why.

To beat Pacquiao again, Bradley will not need to engage at nearly the maniacal level he engaged Provodnikov. Las Vegas judges are already sympathetic to Bradley, as evidenced by his winning more October rounds against Marquez in Las Vegas than he deserved, and they will look thrice as closely at how many of Pacquiao’s actual punches actually land in an actually effective way this time, thrice as closely as HBO’s broadcast crew did the first time the two men fought.

Another note about that, and the effect it takes: I was a member of boxing’s laity in 1999 when Felix Trinidad decisioned Oscar De La Hoya in what I remembered from that time to be perhaps the most egregious superfight robbery since Julio Cesar Chavez’s 1993 draw with Pernell Whitaker. Apropos of a retrospective I worked on last week for a magazine piece timed to coincide with Trinidad’s June induction in the IBHOF, I reviewed the fight and was flabbergasted by the bias of its commentary – a piece of work that comprised one veteran broadcaster calling every Trinidad right cross “another left hook by Oscar!”, and a former heavyweight world champion finding himself so enamored of De La Hoya’s jab that he eschewed speaking Trinidad’s name altogether in the match’s opening half. One’s sense of the match 15 years later is that a draw was fair, but if not a draw then tie-goes-to-the-puncher, and De La Hoya’s skittering flight from Trinidad in the final six minutes subverted his claims on any lasting dissent. So different was the tone of that match in Puerto Ricans’ eyes that in December, at the press conference announcing Tito’s selection to the Hall, Trinidad was asked sincerely if he thought De La Hoya even belonged there (Trinidad stated empathically that he did).

The cost to attend superfights anymore is prohibitive, I know – even for credentialed media – so do not consider this a remedy for bias’ woes, but I will be at MGM Grand on April 12 because I’m interested in the descent of Pacquiao’s career and the prime of Bradley’s, and frankly, I do not trust what I see on pay-per-view broadcasts.

Bart Barry can be reached via bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

Photo by Chris Farina / Top Rank

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (March 14, 2014) — American Idol’s JESSICA SANCHEZ is confirmed to sing the National Anthem of the Philippines before the world welterweight championship rematch between Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao and undefeated two-division world champion Timothy Bradley. Pacquiao-Bradley 2 will take place Saturday, April 12, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Sanchez sang the U.S. National Anthem before Pacquiao vs. Bradley in 2012 and the National Anthems of the U.S. and the Philippines last November before Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios in Macau, China During Pacquiao – Rios Fight Week, Jessica released her single, “Lead Me Home,” and announced that all the proceeds would be donated to Typhoon Relief. Immediately following the Pacquiao-Rios fight, she embarked on a two-week charity trip to the Philippines with the Starkey Foundation where Pacquiao joined her.

The 18-year-old San Diegan was the runner-up in the 11th season of television’s No. 1 rated show, AMERICAN IDOL on FOX. Sanchez quickly became a fan favorite that season with her powerhouse vocals, often garnering high praise from the judges each week.

Prior to IDOL, Sanchez competed on the first season of AMERICA’S GOT TALENT when she was only 11 years old.

Her album’s release, Me, You & the Music, in spring 2013, debuted at No. 8 on the pop charts and she joined the cast of Glee as a guest star for the season finale. Sanchez is ecstatic to share her own music with the world.

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Pound for pound titans PACQUIAO (55-5-2, 38 KOs), the lone congressional representative from the Sarangani Province in the Philippines, and defending world champion BRADLEY (31-0, 12 KOs), of Palm Springs, Calif., will go mano a mano in their eagerly-anticipated WBO welterweight championship rematch. This will also be Pacquiao’s first fight in the U.S. since 2012.

When Pacquiao and Bradley rumbled the first time, on June 9, 2012 at MGM Grand, Bradley’s hand was raised via a controversial split decision, ending Pacquiao’s welterweight title reign as well as his seven-year, 15-bout winning streak. Though both fighters claimed victory neither was satisfied. Destiny may have played a hand in their first battle but it will be survival of the fittest that determines the winner of this exciting rematch.

24/7 Pacquiao/Bradley 2 premieres Saturday, March 29 at Midnight ET/PT on HBO. Show 2 debuts Saturday, April 5 at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT and show 3 debuts Thursday, April 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT two nights before the high stakes welterweight title bout.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, remaining tickets for Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 are priced at $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges. There will be a total ticket limit of 12 per person with a limit of 10 per person at the $1,000, $800, $600, $400 and $250 price levels and a limit of two (2) per person at the $150 price level. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
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For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #PacBradley to join the conversation on Twitter.

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

LOS ANGELES (March 8, 2014) — Fighter of the Decade MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO and his Hall of Fame Trainer World-Famous FREDDIE ROACH broke camp today in General Santos City in the Philippines and are en route to the U.S. On Monday, at Roach’s Hollywood-based Wild Card Boxing Club, they will begin phase two of training for their mission to recapture the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight championship title that undefeated two-division defending champion TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY, JR. won off of Pacquiao via a controversial split decision in 2012.

Team Pacquiao is scheduled to land at Los Angeles International Airport’s Tom Bradley International Terminal today at 6:15 p.m. PT via Philippine Airlines Flight 102. This link will give you updated arrival information. http://www1.philippineairlines.com/index.php/flights/actual-flight-status/

“We had a great camp in the Philippines and Manny, as usual, is way ahead of schedule in his conditioning , and very motivated,” said Roach. “The real business begins for us on Monday at Wild Card. We have great sparring waiting for Manny. He wants that title back. If Bradley thinks he’s going to see the same compassionate Manny he saw the first time they fought he is in for a very big surprise.”

Pound for pound titans Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs), the lone congressional representative from the Sarangani Province in the Philippines, and defending world champion Bradley (31-0, 12 KOs), of Palm Springs, Calif., will go mano a mano in their eagerly-anticipated WBO welterweight championship rematch on Saturday, April 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. This will also be Pacquiao’s first fight in the U.S. since 2012.

When Pacquiao and Bradley rumbled the first time, on June 9, 2012 at MGM Grand, Bradley’s hand was raised via a controversial split decision, ending Pacquiao’s welterweight title reign as well as his seven-year, 15-bout winning streak. Though both fighters claimed victory neither was satisfied. Destiny may have played a hand in their first battle but it will be survival of the fittest that determines the winner of this exciting rematch.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, remaining tickets for Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 are priced at $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges. There will be a total ticket limit of 12 per person with a limit of 10 per person at the $1,000, $800, $600, $400 and $250 price levels and a limit of two (2) per person at the $150 price level. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

24/7 Pacquiao/Bradley 2 premieres Saturday, March 29 at Midnight ET/PT on HBO. Show 2 debuts Saturday, April 5 at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT and show 3 debuts Thursday, April 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT two nights before the high stakes welterweight title bout.
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For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #PacBradley to join the conversation on Twitter.

March 7, 2014 – Fight fans eager for a unique inside look at the highly anticipated April 12th HBO Pay-Per-View® world welterweight championship rematch between undefeated 147-pound title-holder Timothy Bradley Jr. and the world renowned Filipino sensation Manny Pacquiao should mark their calendars to catch an all-new edition of “Face Off,” starring the two prizefighters. “Face Off With Max Kellerman: Pacquiao/Bradley 2” debuts Saturday, March 22 at 11:45 p.m. (ET/PT) on HBO.

Moderated by Max Kellerman, “Face Off” is an insightful and often gripping interview session in which the two fighters square off and answer Kellerman’s questions. The fighters also get the chance to address each other and their fans in this engaging format.

A “Pacquiao/Bradley 2” extended version of “Face Off” is set to air multiple times on HBO and HBO2 (schedule below). “Face Off” will also be available on the HBO On Demand® service, HBO GO® and at www.hbo.com/boxing as well as various other new media platforms that distribute the program.

HBO air times include: March 22 (11:45 p.m.), 25 (8:15 a.m. & 3:15 p.m.), 29 (12:30 a.m.), 30 (12:30 p.m.) and April 1 (2:00 a.m.), 2 (7:45 p.m.), 5 (2:15 p.m.), 7 (8:15 p.m.), 9 (9:15 a.m.), 11 (6:30 p.m.) & 12 (10:30 a.m.).

HBO2 air times include: March 23 (10:30 a.m.), 27 (1:00 p.m.,6:15 p.m.) 30 (1:05 a.m.) and April 1 (11:40 a.m.), 4 (10:30 a.m.), 10 (9:45 p.m.), 11 (12:30 a.m. & 2:15 a.m.) & 12 (4:30 p.m.).

All times are ET/PT.

“Face Off With Max Kellerman: Pacquiao/Bradley 2” kicks-off four consecutive weeks of original programming and features surrounding the first mega-fight of 2014. It culminates when Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 takes place Saturday, April 12 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The fight will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (March 4, 2014) — Grammy Award-winning singer/ songwriter, actor and author ASHANTI will sing the National Anthem at the rematch between Fighter of the Decade MANNY PACQUIAO and undefeated two-division world champion TIMOTHY BRADLEY, JR. Pacquiao and Bradley will be battling for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title, Saturday, April 12, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The world welterweight championship event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT.

“I’m such a huge fan of Manny Pacquiao! I have family in the boxing business — Howard Davis, Jr. and Dyah Davis,” said Ashanti. “When I found out we were sitting next to each other courtside at the Knicks game, I said to my Dad, ‘We should take a picture!’ I told Manny I was a big fan and was so excited when he asked me to sing the National Anthem at his upcoming fight and I can’t wait. I actually love boxing! Manny’s such a champion and I can’t wait to cheer him on!”

“Ashanti and I first met on February 5 in New York when we found ourselves sitting next to each other courtside at a Knicks game,” said Pacquiao. “I told her I was a big fan and asked her if she would sing the U.S. National Anthem at my fight against Timothy Bradley. She quickly checked her schedule and then said she could and she would. The Knicks may have lost that night but I felt like the biggest winner in the world when I walked out of Madison Square Garden.”

Ashanti’s forthcoming album, the highly-anticipated “Braveheart” will be released Today! Tuesday, March 4, on her label Written Entertainment, where she is the CEO, and distributed by eOne Music. The album features the heart-wrenching single, “Never Should Have,” that won the 2013 Soul Train Award for Best Independent R&B/Soul Performance. “Braveheart” also includes the tracks “I Got It” featuring Rick Ross and “First Real Love” featuring Beenie Man. Ashanti made her directorial debut for her video “The Woman You Love” featuring Buster Rhymes and produced by LT Hutton.

Ashanti burst onto the music scene with her smash hit, self-titled debut album “Ashanti.” It landed the No. 1 spot on both the Billboard Top 200 and R&B album charts, selling a whopping 504,593 units in its first week. Her first week showing set a SoundScan record as the most albums sold by any debut female artist in the chart’s history, granting her a spot in Guinness Book of World Records. With her hit song, “Foolish,” Ashanti also secured the No. 1 top spot on SIX Billboard charts simultaneously, including Hot R&B/ Hip-Hop Airplay, The Billboard 200, Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks, Hot 100 Airplay, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Hot 100! “Foolish” stayed on the Billboard charts for 11 consecutive weeks. She made Billboard history by having her first three chart entries land in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time. She is the first female to accomplish this feat, previously only attained by the Beatles.

That year she was awarded eight Billboard awards. Her album “Ashanti” topped the Billboard Album Chart and also won the Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album. In addition, that year she won two American Music Awards and the Soul Train Aretha Franklin Entertainer of the Year Award. In addition to her Grammy, she’s also received multiple Soul Train Awards, a MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Award, a Comet Award (Grammy Equivalent in Germany), Lady of Soul Awards, a Teen Choice Award and Nickelodeon’s Kid Choice Award, along with many other nominations including an MTV movie award nomination and an NAACP Image Award Nomination for her role as Kera in “Coach Carter.”

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Pound for pound titans PACQUIAO (55-5-2, 38 KOs), the lone congressional representative from the Sarangani Province in the Philippines, and defending world champion BRADLEY (31-0, 12 KOs), of Palm Springs, Calif., will go mano a mano in their eagerly-anticipated WBO welterweight championship rematch. This will also be Pacquiao’s first fight in the U.S. since 2012.

When Pacquiao and Bradley rumbled the first time, on June 9, 2012 at MGM Grand, Bradley’s hand was raised via a controversial split decision, ending Pacquiao’s welterweight title reign as well as his seven-year, 15-bout winning streak. Though both fighters claimed victory neither was satisfied. Destiny may have played a hand in their first battle but it will be survival of the fittest that determines the winner of this exciting rematch.

Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, remaining tickets for Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 are priced at $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges. There will be a total ticket limit of 12 per person with a limit of 10 per person at the $1,000, $800, $600, $400 and $250 price levels and a limit of two (2) per person at the $150 price level. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
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For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #PacBradley to join the conversation on Twitter.

NEW YORK, March 3, 2014 – HBO Sports’ groundbreaking “24/7” reality franchise, which has captured 17 Sports Emmy® Awards and produced 18 multi-part boxing editions since 2007, will look at the upcoming world welterweight championship rematch between Manny Pacquiao and unbeaten titleholder Timothy Bradley Jr. with 24/7 PACQUIAO/BRADLEY 2, a set of three shows debuting SATURDAY, MARCH 29 (midnight-12:30 a.m. ET/PT). Spanning three weeks, the three unique programs will offer inside access to the two elite fighters and their camps as they prepare for their intriguing welterweight title showdown April 12 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“‘Pacquiao-Bradley 2’ is the ideal event to take the ‘24/7’ franchise and develop new ideas and programming, while continuing to provide viewers a compelling look at the intensity of the fighters as they prepare for this highly anticipated showdown,” noted Bernstein.

The second edition of 24/7 PACQUIAO/BRADLEY 2, debuting SATURDAY, APRIL 5 (11:30 p.m.-midnight), will be a traditional “24/7” presentation. The third show debuts THURSDAY, APRIL 10 (8:30-9:00 p.m.) on location from Las Vegas two nights before the high-stakes welterweight bout and will capture the energy and intensity of fight week.

Debuting immediately after the “HBO Boxing After Dark” doubleheader that begins at 10:00 p.m., 24/7 PACQUIAO/BRADLEY 2 will chronicle the road the two fighters have taken since their controversial first meeting in June 2012 and show how they visualize their highly anticipated rematch.

Born amid poverty in the Philippines, Manny Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs), 35, has met every challenge to become a worldwide star, capturing world titles in eight different weight divisions. He is the lone congressional representative from the Sarangani province of his homeland, winning reelection to a second term last year. Now, Pacquiao is determined to overcome the setback he experienced in 2012 when he and Bradley first tangled on the Las Vegas strip.

Timothy Bradley Jr. (31-0, 12 KOs), 30, is battled-tested and fearless, having scored wins in his remarkable pro career over the likes of Devon Alexander, Manny Pacquiao, Ruslan Provodnikov and Juan Manuel Marquez. Bradley’s triumphs over Provodnikov (named the “Fight of the Year” by the BWAA) and Marquez last year propelled the undefeated champ into the elite fighter category.

Pacquiao is expected to surround himself with a trusted contingent of family and friends as he works in the Philippines and then in Hollywood, Cal. with longtime trainer Freddie Roach. Team Bradley, under the guidance of trainer Joel Diaz, will hold camp in Bradley’s hometown of Palm Springs, Cal.

“Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2” takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 12 at 9:00 p.m. (ET)/6:00 p.m. (PT), and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®.

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Photos By Chris Farina / Top Rank

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Fighter of the Decade Manny Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs) will appear in studio during tonight’s episode of Olbermann live at 11 p.m. ET. Pacquiao is in New York for a Thursday press conference to announce his much anticipated rematch between undefeated Welterweight title holder Timothy Bradley Jr. (31-0, 12 KOs). The fight will take place Saturday, April 12, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Bradley won a controversial split decision, ending Pacquiao’s Welterweight title reign, in their first fight back in 2012.

MANNY PACQUIAO QUOTES:

“I remember last time believing that I won the first fight against Tim Bradley. I thought I was leading after every round. I thought I won the fight easily. I controlled the fight every round.

“I had a feeling in training camp that he would run from me once he felt my power and he did…after the third or fourth round.

“To be honest, I wasn’t as motivated when I was training for our first fight. I guess I didn’t take him seriously enough.

“I was very surprised by the decision. But that’s part of the game. He got the decision and my title.

“Bradley was tough and strong. His style was different from mine.

“I am impressed with what Bradley has done since our fight. He is a different fighter now since we fought. He has more experience at this level and as a welterweight champion. He fought extremely well against Márquez. I knew Tim would beat him utilizing his speed. But I am still faster than Bradley.

“The only way Bradley can beat me this time is to knock me out. He cannot outbox me. I will be the aggressor. I will throw a lot of punches at him – more than I threw against Rios — and I will land them. Last time I was too nice. This time, I will finish what I start.

“I want to get back that belt he won off of me.

“Boxing has always been fun for me. This time the fun is secondary. This is a mission to prove I am the best.

“In my fight against Rios I proved I can still fight at the high level everyone expects from me. I showed I can still control a fight as well as I ever have.

“I’m excited to be back in Las Vegas fighting. Las Vegas attracts great boxing fans and I have great memories of fighting there.

“For training camp I intend to spend the first four weeks at my gym in General Santos City and the last four weeks at Wild Card in Hollywood”

TIMOTHY BRADLEY QUOTES

“This is all about redemption. I need Manny. He needs me. I’m going to beat him again. I am younger and a better fighter. Manny fights for the money. I have the hunger to win.

“I scored our fight eight rounds to four in my favor. No way he won that fight.

“Manny is great but he is also mortal. I’m not intimidated by him or his legend.

“Manny didn’t look the same against Rios. He didn’t have his usual killer instinct. That’s the first thing I noticed.

“I don’t think he has the hunger anymore and it’s never coming back. He no longer has his killer instinct. That’s the first thing I noticed in the Rios fight. Every time he backed Rios into a corner, Manny stepped back instead of going for it. He didn’t even try to put Rios away. That spoke volumes to me.

“When I fought Márquez I knew my quickness would come into play. I set traps and used my quickness. I fought with intelligence. I used my pure boxing skills.

“I know all about Manny. I went into the ring with him. I felt his best punches.

“Me, I am a different fighter than the one who fought Pacquiao in our first fight. I am more mature, smarter, and I now listen to what my corner is saying.”

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (February 4, 2014) – In a battle of pound for pound titans, undefeated two-division world champion TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title against Fighter of the Decade Congressman MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO. This will be Pacquiao’s first fight in the U.S. since 2012. Promoted by Top Rank®, in association with MP Promotions and Tecate, Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2 will take place, Saturday, April 12, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. It will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets for Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2, priced at $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges, go on sale Tomorrow! Wednesday, February 5 at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT. There will be a total ticket limit of 12 per person with a limit of 10 per person at the $1,000, $800, $600, $400 and $250 price levels and a limit of two (2) per person at the $150 price level. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

When Pacquiao and Bradley rumbled the first time on June 9, 2012 at MGM Grand, Bradley’s hand was raised via a controversial split decision, ending Pacquiao’s welterweight title reign as well as his seven-year, 15-bout winning streak. Though both fighters claimed victory neither was satisfied. Destiny may have played a hand in their first battle but it will be survival of the fittest that determines the winner of this exciting rematch.

“I want my title back and I am prepared to endure my hardest training camp ever to win this fight against Tim Bradley,” said Pacquiao. “It is very exciting to be returning to Las Vegas. And as always, I dedicate this fight to my countrymen throughout the world and to bring glory to the Philippines.”

“This fight is to get the credit I did not get the first time,” said Bradley. “I must beat Pacquiao as convincingly as I beat Juan Manuel Márquez.”

“Tim Bradley is one of the toughest guys in the world and I saw that up close when he fought Ruslan Provodnikov last year,” said Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, who worked Provodnikov’s corner. “Tim looked even better in beating Márquez in his last fight. Tim is the champion and Manny and I know we have our work cut out for us to successfully challenge him on April 12.”

“This is a fight which will give us peace of mind after the controversy of our first fight,” said Bradley’s trainer Joel Diaz.. “We have to win and make it clear. It’s not going to be easy for Pacquiao if he thinks he can beat Bradley. I will guarantee that.”

“At long last a competitive super fight,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “I am sure the sports books in Las Vegas are gearing up for huge two-way action.”

“Rarely do we see two marquee fighters wanting to fight each other in order to settle doubt,” said Todd duBoef, President of Top Rank. “Someone is going to be very disappointed after the fight.”

“Fight fans have been clamoring for a rematch ever since the decision of Pacquiao vs. Bradley I was announced on June 9, 2012,” said Mark Taffet, Senior Vice President, HBO Pay-Per-View. “These are two exceptional athletes, elite world class prizefighters, who do not hesitate to accept difficult challenges on the sport’s biggest stage. We can’t wait for April 12th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.”

“It is an honor to host this international championship boxing event at MGM Grand in April,” said Richard Sturm, president of Entertainment & Sports for MGM Resorts International. “We look forward to another successful fight and know the rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley will be exciting for the fans in the Arena and watching on television worldwide.”

“Based on the results of their first fight and considering Bradley’s recent success against Márquez and Provodnikov, this fight’s price will be much closer than the first time,” said Jay Rood, Vice President of Race & Sports for MGM Resorts International.
“Our opening number is Pacquiao -180 and +160 for Bradley which means Manny is slightly less than a 2-to-1 favorite. This line may in fact move up and down with most of our action picking up during fight week in April.”

Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs), the lone congressional representative from the Sarangani province in the Philippines (he was reelected to a second term, running unopposed last year), is the only fighter to win eight world titles in as many different weight divisions. A three-time Fighter of the Year and the Boxing Writers Association of America’s “Fighter of the Decade,” Pacquiao’s resumé features victories over future Hall of Famers, including Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Márquez. From 2008 to 2010, five of his seven victories were world title victories in five different weight classes, from 130 to 154 pounds. No active boxer has sold more live tickets in the U.S. than Pacquiao, who is also credited with more than 12 million pay-per-view buys. He returns to the ring after a scintillating beatdown of former world champion Brandon Rios last November in Macau, China.

Bradley (31-0, 12 KOs), from Palm Springs, Calif., a two-division world champion who unified the junior welterweight titles twice during his previous four-year reign, returns to the ring after three consecutive career-best victories. After moving up in weight and beating Pacquiao in 2012, Bradley co-starred in the Fight of the Year on March16, 2013, winning a brutal 12-round decision over future world champion Ruslan Provodnikov though Bradley was suffering from a concussion throughout most of the fight. In his most recent fight, on October 12, Bradley gave a virtuoso performance in defeating three-division world champion and Mexican icon Juan Manuel Márquez proving that Bradley is indeed one of boxing’s elite pound for pound fighters.

For fight updates go to www.toprank.com, or www.hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/trboxing, facebook.com/trboxeo, or facebook.com/hboboxing, and on Twitter at twitter.com/trboxing, twitter.com/trboxeo, or twitter.com/hboboxing. Use the Hashtag #PacBradley to join the conversation on Twitter.

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank