Pacquiao adviser defends selection of Bradley

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao’s longtime adviser defended the selection of Timothy Bradley to be the Filipino icon’s next and final opponent, saying it was a sound financial decision.

In a report by boxingscene.com’s Steve Kim, Mike Koncz bared that he has negotiated with British star Amir Khan and even considered doing the same with Adrien Broner, a protégé of Floyd Mayweather Jr.

But Koncz said a rubber match with Bradley made the most sense financially.

“We looked at what was the best financial package for Manny and I was dealing with Amir Khan. I kept him posted as much as I could. I even let him know what we had to pay Bradley to fight in the hopes that he may become more realistic in his purse,” Pacquiao’s Canadian adviser told Kim.

Having split their first two fights, Pacquiao and Bradley will settle the score on April 9 (April 10 Manila time) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Bradley’s selection has been met with criticism from boxing observers and fans, who claimed that the American does not deserve another shot at Pacquiao.

Bradley escaped with a controversial decision in their first meeting in 2012, while Pacquiao exacted payback in the rematch two years later. Many think Pacquiao should have won both fights.

But Bradley’s name continued to pop up along with Khan and rising star Terence Crawford, and the fighter known as “The Desert Storm” eventually landed the Pacquiao fight.

Koncz, for his part, also admitted considering the brash Broner to be his boss’ opponent.

“And I was even contemplating Adrien Broner but we had to look at everything in a package deal and fortunately – or unfortunately – the best package financially I could get for Manny was a rematch with Bradley,” he added.

Pacquiao is set to earn at least $20 million in the rubber match with Bradley, and because both boxers belong to Top Rank Inc., the promotional firm will be able to maximize profits from the bout. – Dino Maragay