Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley fought three times and their first match ended with the defeat of the Filipino boxer. The next two fights were done to confirm who really is the best and the latter lost in their last two bouts.
Now, Bradley opened up about his win against Pacquiao in their first fight in 2012 and he said that this was the most unforgettable in their three matches because it left a scar on him. The 5-time world champion boxer revealed that when he was announced as the winner, her world turned upside down in the next few days as he received criticisms rather than praise and words of congratulations.
Bradley gets candid about his experience post-fight versus Pacquiao
Bradley honestly said during his recent interview with Fair Game that his fight with Manny Pacquiao was horrifying for him. He said that although he won, he got to the point where he was contemplating taking his own life due to the backlash that mainly says he was not the deserving winner.
He described Pacquiao as a beast and a legend in the sport but their first encounter was really traumatic for him. He even said that facing Pacman was like fighting King Kong as the fanfare of the fight was so tense. Even so, he acknowledged that his 2012 fight with Manny was the turning point of his career in boxing.
“It was like the moment that I've been waiting on my whole career,” Bradley said. “But I’m not gonna lie, I was scared.”
Bradley further admitted that he was scared of fighting Pacquiao because he is aware of his power and regarded him as “dangerous.” On top of this, he was frightened as it was a big fight and there was so much pressure around him.
The post-fight brought him heartache
The American boxer said that his win against Manny Pacquiao was bittersweet because he didn’t expect to be heavily criticized for it. He said that people mocked him and he heard many unpleasant things.
“After the decision, all hell broke loose,” he told Fair Game. “People laughed at me, people telling me to give back the belt.”
He added that things did not stop there as he also started receiving death threats after being called a “fake champion.” His family was also severely affected and that was the time when he considered taking his own life.
