Manny Pacquiao Vs. Adrien Broner Preview And Odds; Joshua Vs. Wilder Negotiations: Boxing Biz
Manny Pacquiao probably wouldn’t have many problems if he were facing Adrien Broner in the prime of Pacquiao’s career. Yes, Broner is tough, and yes, Broner has power. But Broner has never beaten an elite fighter, and he’s not been great when he fights above the 140-pound junior welterweight division. If Pacquiao was at his best, he’d likely overwhelm Broner and probably stop him. But when people tune in Saturday to watch Pacquiao vs. Broner on Showtime PPV, they won’t be watching the best version of Pacquiao.

Manny Pacquiao, left, and Adrien Broner will face off to see if Pacquiao is good enough to beat an opponent of his caliber. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)GETTY
But is any version of Pacquiao—who reportedly will make a $10 million guarantee along with a percentage of the PPV profit—a version that Broner can beat, especially at 147 pounds? Most of the boxer predictions say no—though, to be fair, a few have said they believe in Broner—and he is a +250 underdog, meaning you’d win $250 on a $100 bet. Pacquiao, meanwhile, is a -325 favorite, which means you’d have bet $325 to win $100.
Broner, who will make a $2.5 million guarantee and a percentage on the backend, has a chance, but it doesn’t seem like a great chance.
“No way Broner wins,” welterweight titlist Shawn Porter told Philstar.com. “I’ve fought Broner and I’ve sparred with Manny. I think Manny’s too quick, too strong. In all aspects, Manny is better than Broner.”
Yet you should still tune in to the Showtime PPV telecast, and there are plenty of reasons why. Here are three of them.
1) Pacquiao might be too old: He’s 40 years old, and his skills certainly aren’t getting sharper at this point in his life. Yes, he knocked out Matthysse last year, but Matthysse was a shell of his former self. It’s unclear if we should take anything away from that bout. At some point, considering some of the hellacious battles he’s fought in the ring, Pacquiao is going to get old in the ring overnight. So far, it hasn’t happened. Perhaps Broner could be more aggressive than usual to see if the old, fiery Pacquiao is still there. “Pacquiao’s a legend,” Broner said. “He’ll always go down as one of the best in the boxing business. But I just feel like it’s my time to take over this sport, and I’m coming to take the throne from Pacquiao.”
2) Is Broner really focused this time?: The problem with Broner throughout his career is that he’s so obviously talented but has underperformed every time he’s fought an elite opponent. His training camps aren’t always great, and he’s had a myriad of legal distractions throughout his career. This time, though, is different, he said (which, frankly, is what he’s said in the past, as well). But this might be his last chance at a massive payday. So, perhaps he does have a different mindset. “I know what’s at stake,” Broner said. “A win over Pacquiao could take my career somewhere that I can only dream of. So I’ve got to take it seriously.”
Manny Pacquiao Vs. Adrien Broner: 10 Things You Should Know About Saturday’s Fight

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 18: WBA welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (L) and Adrien Broner face off during their official weigh-in at MGM Grand Garden Arena on January 18, 2019, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pacquiao will defend his title against Broner on January 19 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) photo credit: Getty ImagesGETTY
Manny Pacquiao vs. Adrien “The Problem” Broner is the first high-profile boxing matchup of 2019. At 40 years old, Pacquiao still has a massive audience, and Broner is perhaps the most polarizing fighter in the sport. Together, they’re one of the most intriguing fights we’ll see in 2019.
Here are the 10 things you should know about the bout.
Date and Time
The fight takes place on Saturday, January 19. The card begins at 9 pm ET. It takes place on the same day as the UFC’s debut on ESPN. That event should provide some viewership competition for the Pacquiao-Broner fight.
Location
The bout takes place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. This fight will be Pacquiao’s first bout in the United States since November 2016 when the future Hall of Famer took a unanimous decision away from Jessie Vargas at the Thomas & Mack Arena, also in Vegas.
How to Watch
Showtime will broadcast and stream the bout as an exclusive pay-per-view. Fans can order it from their local cable or satellite provider, or watch it via live stream on the Showtime app.
What’s at Stake?
Pacquiao is the WBA “regular” welterweight champion. His title will be on the line, but perhaps more important is a potential rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr. It’s not confirmed, but there are rumors Pacquiao could get Mayweather out of retirement for another massive payday.
A win for Broner would be a career-saver. He needs a win over a big name, and few have more weight than Pacquiao.
Weigh-In Results
Both fighters made weight. Pacquiao came in just half-a-pound lighter than Broner.
Odds
Per Sportsbook, Pacquiao is a minus-300 favorite (h/tproboxingodds). Broner is a plus-235 underdog.
Undercard
- Badou Jack vs. Marcus Browne
- Nordine Oubaali vs. Rau’shee Warren for WBC bantamweight title
- Jhack Tepora vs. Hugo Ruiz for interim WBA featherweight title
Last Time Out
In Pacquiao’s last bout, he captured the WBA regular title with a dominant performance against Lucas Matthysse in July 2018. Pacquiao scored the seventh-round TKO. Matthysse looked as if he had one foot out the door in the fight. He looked like a shell of the fighter who was once one of the most feared in his weight region.
In any case, the win set Pacquiao up to sign with Premier Boxing Champions and Al Haymon, and it created another path to a potential fight with Mayweather.
In Broner’s last bout, he walked away with a controversial draw against Vargas in April 2018 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. I thought Vargas deserved the decision, and Broner was fortunate to escape with a draw.
Best Bet Per Peter Kahn
According to Forbes’ boxing odds expert Peter Kahn, the best bet to make on Saturday’s fight is Pacquiao by decision. Kahn wrote:
“Although I feel Broner will be more competitive than many people have expressed, I don’t see Broner winning this fight, so even though there’s value at +258 (wager $100 to win $258) for Broner as an underdog, I simply don’t see him winning the fight, therefore, the $100 isn’t a wise bet.”
My Prediction
I concur with Kahn. I give Broner a chance to win if he can be aggressive on the inside with Pacquiao, and look to effectively counterpunch. However, in the end, Pacquiao will be too quick and busy, and he’ll win a decision.
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