Manny Pacquiao vs Timothy Bradley fight: How to watch on TV, and what time will it start on Saturday night in UK?

 

When is the fight?

It’s this Saturday, April 9. There’s Anthony Joshua vs Charles Martinbeforehand, too.  Cancel your weekend.

What time is the fight in the UK?

Well, it is at 9pm Eastern time in the US, which means about 2am in the UK. As ever with boxing, that time is subject to slippage so be warned that it may well go later. You would hope that it would all be wrapped up in time for a very early Sunday breakfast.

What TV channel is it on?

It’s being shown on Premier Sports, which can be subscribed to for a month for £9.99. Or, for no money at all, you can follow the fight right here, on the wonderful Telegraph Sport website.

Pacquiao v Bradley by numbersPlay!01:04

Where is it?

In Las Vegas, of course, the home of legalised gambling, Elton John and boxing. The fight takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

What are the fighter’s records?

Here, have a look at this graphic:

What are they saying?

Manny Pacquiao admitted on Monday that his mind “says to retire”:

“After this fight I have already said that my mind is to focus on my job. If I win a Senate seat (in May), I have a big responsibility and I need to focus on that,” explained Pacquiao.

“I cannot say right now that I am going to retire. I don’t want to say that because I don’t know what the feeling is when you leave boxing. I will give it great thought when I return home. My mind right now says to retire, but we don’t know.”

Teddy Atlas is having sleepless nights as he prepares his “son” Tim Bradley to face the explosive punching power of Pacquiao.

Atlas, who had forged a successful career as an analyst for ESPN, was coaxed back into training by Bradley last year, working his corner for the 32-year-old’s successful WBO welterweight title defense against Brandon Rios.

The 59-year-old Atlas said he had not anticipated returning to training following his acrimonious split with Russian heavyweight Alexander Povetkin in the early months of 2012.

However a chance meeting with Bradley on a radio show last year brought the two men together and they are now plotting to spoil Pacquiao’s farewell at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

“Fighters don’t sleep before fights. I don’t sleep that much either,” Atlas said.

“You’d be outta your mind if you were getting a good night’s sleep. You wouldn’t be aware of what the heck was in front of you.”

Atlas recalled words from his mentor, the late Cus D’Amato, the legendary trainer who discovered and nurtured a young Mike Tyson.

“Cus used to say anyone who isn’t afraid is either a liar or they need to get a good doctor and find out what the heck is wrong with them – because something’s missing,” said Atlas, who famously split with D’Amato after a violent altercation with Tyson involving a loaded revolver.

Atlas describes Pacquiao as a “freak”, saying that planning a strategy to combat the range of weapons in the Filipino’s arsenal keeps him awake at night.

“The combination of speed and power that Manny has is uncommon. When you’re competing against someone like Manny you see the obvious – the explosion of ability, the straight left hand, the right hook, the quickness, the surges, the hurricane of punches that come at you,” Atlas explained.

“But you don’t see what comes before the storm. I don’t do much but I hope I can help my fighters see what comes before the storm. That’s what keeps me up at night.”

Manny Pacquiao speaks ahead of fight against Timothy BradleyPlay!01:22

What are the odds?

Manny Pacquiao: 4/11 Timothy Bradley: 9/4 Draw: 20/1

Source: Manny Pacquiao vs Timothy Bradley fight: How to watch on TV, and what time will it start on Saturday night in UK?