MANNY PACQUIAO “I feel so blessed and happy because of the excitement around this fight. It’s come from the fans here in the U.S. and media all over the world. I want to go out there and make all the people happy. “The knockout in my last fight felt good. It felt like my younger days against Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and others. That fight was a big challenge for me to recover from the fight against Jeff Horn. People said that my career was done. But I never got discouraged, I just worked hard and made the knockout against Lucas Matthysse happen. “These days I don’t only train my body, but also my mind. I’m a Senator, so my mind is very busy. I also play chess regularly and read books to keep my mind sharp. “People writing me off after the Jeff Horn fight was good for me. I’m not mad at anyone who thought that. It just became a challenge and a test to me of whether or not I could still show my best. “Being back here at MGM Grand makes me so happy. It’s an honor to be in this position. I remember my first fight here in the U.S. was at MGM Grand. I will never forget that moment and now I get to come back here and do it again. “I know he is going to counter me but we’re ready for that. What happened in the Juan Manuel Marquez fight will not happen again. It was a mistake and I learned that mistake. We’ve worked on that in this training camp. I am prepared for Broner’s style. “This is a challenge because it is my first fight as a 40-year-old. I have something to prove to everyone about what that means. Age is just a number. What matters is how you prepare and that you’re working hard. “I don’t need to dislike my opponent to want a knockout. I’m just doing my job in the ring. If the knockout comes, it comes. We’re hoping to have that opportunity Saturday. I have to pressure him to make him open up. Wherever he goes, I’ll be there. “I’ve always stayed disciplined throughout my years in boxing. I’m always making sure everything is in order and on point during my workouts. That plus cross-training with activities like basketball has helped me stay in this position all these years.” ADRIEN BRONER “I’m not up here to talk a lot of trash. I’ve put in the work. It’s fight time. After I win, everything is going to be different. “People are talking a lot about Pacquiao fighting Floyd Mayweather again, but I’m pretty sure Floyd is retired. I feel like people are trying to throw me to the wolves and overlook me. “He doesn’t remind me of any past opponents just like I’m not going to remind him of anyone he’s fought. He’s never fought anyone like me. Every fighter has similarities, but truly every fighter is different. If I remind him of Floyd Mayweather, I hope his arm doesn’t hurt after this one. “Look at my last five fights. I’ve fought world champion after world champion. I don’t duck any fights. I don’t care how many weight classes he’s won titles in. “I’m not in awe of any fighter, especially Manny Pacquiao. I hope he’s in awe of me. I’m a one of a kind fighter too. I’ve made history in this sport. “I just have to go out and win this fight, then everything is going to start going my way. Saturday night, I will be victorious. This is a defining moment in my career and it’s going to be one of the biggest nights of my life. “Pacquiao hasn’t fought me so I’m not worried about what he says about me right now. He’s going to have a different outlook after he fights me Saturday night. “I’m going to turn Las Vegas into a big block party after I win on Saturday night. It’s going to change my career. “Manny Pacquiao has done a lot for the sport. I’m going to beat him up and have a drink with him afterward. I grew up in boxing and I know what’s going on. It’s a business, but don’t get it twisted, I’m going to dominate and win. “This is going to be a hell of a fight. I’ve trained so hard and I want everyone to know that I play around a lot, but when that bell rings, I’m going to be ready. I didn’t come here to lose or lay down. I came here to get this victory. Real talk.”<doc-sep>The first major boxing event of 2019 takes place on Jan. 19 when Manny Pacquiao defends his WBA (regular) welterweight against Adrien Broner from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Pacquiao, (60-7-2, 39 KOs) boxing's only eight-division world champion, notched his first stoppage win over 8 1/2 years in his last time out in July when he defeated Lucas Matthysse in the seventh round to capture the WBA belt. It had been rumored that Pacquiao would be meeting Floyd Mayweather once again after a social media post of the two legends in Tokyo went viral last in September. Instead, Mayweather took an exhibition bout against Tenshin Nasukawa on New Year's Eve and has vowed to remain retired, so Pacquiao shifted his focus to Broner. After winning three consecutive fights, the last two fights for Broner (33-3-1, one no contest, 24 KOs) have been shaky. The former four-division world champion got decimated by Mikey Garcia, losing a lopsided decision in July 2017. He followed that up with a draw against Jessie Vargas in April. Vargas won the first half of the fight with Broner making a strong run in the second half. Pundits were split on who actually won. Negotiations for a rematch went nowhere as Vargas went on to sign a deal to fight on DAZN. Join DAZN and watch more than 100 fight nights a year Can Pacquiao continue the momentum from the Matthysse fight and make one more glorious run to his already historic career or does Broner finally come through and win the biggest fight of his career? (All times Eastern.) When is the Pacquiao vs. Broner fight? Manny Pacquiao vs. Adrien Broner commences on Saturday, Jan. 19. The main card begins at 9 p.m. Pacquiao and Broner are expected to make the walk to the ring for the main event at around 11:30 p.m. How do I watch Pacquiao vs. Broner? The Pacquiao vs. Broner is available on Showtime pay-per-view for $74.99. Where is the Pacquiao vs. Broner fight? Manny Pacquiao and Adrien Broner will fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It is the first time Pacquiao has fought in the United States since a November 2016 victory of Vargas and the first time at the MGM since his April 2016 win over Timothy Bradley. Pacquiao vs. Broner betting odds According to ProBoxingOdds.com, Manny Pacquiao is a -303 favorite, which means you'll need to bet $303 to win $100. Meanwhile, Broner is a +246 underdog, meaning if you bet $100, you could win $246. Manny Pacquiao record and bio Name: Manny Pacquiao Nationality: Flipino Born: December 17, 1978 Height: 5-5 ½ Reach: 67″ Total fights: 69 Record: 60-7-2 with 39 knockouts. Adrien Broner record and bio Name: Adrien Broner Nationality: American Born: July 29, 1989 Height: 5-6 ½ Reach: 69 ½" Total fights: 38 Record: 33-3-1, one no contest with 24 knockouts. Pacquiao vs. Broner fight card Matchup Class Belt Manny Pacquiao vs. Adrien Broner Welterweight WBA (Regular) Badou Jack vs. Marcus Browne Light Heavyweight WBA (Interim) Nordine Oubaali vs. Rau'shee Warren Bantamweight WBC (Vacant) Jhack Tepora vs. Hugo Ruiz Featherweight WBA (Interim) Pacquiao vs. Broner latest news - Who is the toughest opponent of Adrien Broner's career? The former four-division world champion tells Sporting News why it's him. - Feel like making some money on the big fight? Here are the latest odds, who SN picks to win and what prop bets you should consider. - A lot is on the line for Manny Pacquiao and Adrien Broner. SN breaks down what's at stake for both guys. - Why did Broner go off the rails on Showtime Boxing analyst Al Bernstein? Here's why. - Who wins between Pacquiao and Broner? SN talks to people inside the boxing industry and they gives their pick. - Manny Pacquiao has been in boxing for a long time. He takes a look back on his legendary career. - Who is Marcus Browne? The man who fights for the WBA interim light heavyweight gives SN a sneak peak at how he's gotten to this point.<doc-sep>How Foo Yeen/Getty Images Manny Pacquiao's best days are past him. He is no longer the fighter he was when he claimed 15 victories in a row from 2005 to 2011, beating the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Marquez (twice). However, the 40-year-old superstar is still a huge draw and occasionally electric, and his return to the United States on Saturday to take on Adrien Broner will have many rightly hooked. Pac-Man's last two fights, a controversial defeat to Jeff Horn and a knockout win against Lucas Matthysse, took place in Australia and Malaysia, respectively. But he returns to Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday to defend his WBA welterweight crown against 29-year-old Broner, who has a shot to finally start making good on his early potential. Pacquiao is the favourite to prevail, but Broner will be desperate to upset the odds after not winning either of his last two fights. In his last visit to the ring, he came away with a draw against Jessie Vargas following his unanimous-decision defeat to Mikey Garcia in July 2017. Video Play Button Videos you might like Fight Odds Outcome Pacquiao win (1-3) Broner win (9-4) Figures courtesy of OddsShark Win Type Pacquiao by decision or technical decision (evens) Pacquiao by KO, TKO or DQ (11-4) Broner by decision or technical decision (9-2) Broner by KO, TKO or DQ (5-1) Draw or technical draw (20-1) Figures courtesy of Oddschecker If Broner beats Pacquiao, it will be the biggest win of the American's career by some distance. He is aware of what a victory could do for him. Per the Mirror's Martin Domin, Broner said in the build-up: "After this victory, I will be taking over the sport of boxing. This is just the beginning." It was a predictably hubristic comment from the underdog, whose career to date has been regularly plagued by legal issues outside the ring. Michael Reaves/Getty Images Pacquiao has little to prove, but a win over Broner could take him closer to a rematch against Floyd Mayweather Jr. The pair's 2015 meeting was a huge letdown, as Money ran out an easy winner. However, they met back in September to discuss a potential rematch, which could be scheduled for late 2019 if Pacquiao wins on Saturday, per Dan Rafael of ESPN. As the man himself noted, though, "I have to go through this fight first before we talk about Floyd Mayweather." Pac-Man's defeat of Matthysse was notable because it was his first victory by knockout since he beat Cotto in 2009: It showed he still has the punching power to land the killer blow, and he will be looking for another knockout victory in Las Vegas. It is difficult to know how Broner will approach the fight given how much is on the line for him, but he has historically been a cautious fighter, modelling himself on Mayweather's defensive style. That could frustrate Pacquiao, but then again, Broner is nowhere near as talented as Mayweather. If he does not feel he is winning the fight come the later rounds, Broner may be forced to open up a little, which will give Pacquiao the opportunity to earn a second successive knockout win. Prediction: Pacquiao by ninth-round TKO<doc-sep>Sarah Stier/Getty Images Manny Pacquiao will face off against Adrien Broner on Saturday and puts his WBA welterweight crown on the line against one of boxing's infamous bad boys at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two fighters share a fond rapport with one another outside the ring, but 40-year-old Pacquiao will go in search of back-to-back wins for the first time in more than two years when he takes on a foe more than 10 years his junior. "The Problem," 29, drew against Jessie Vargas in his last bout—Pacquiao beat the same foe via unanimous decision in November 2016—and lost to Mikey Garcia prior to that, with the American under pressure to impress in Vegas this weekend. Viewers in the United States can purchase the pay-per-view action on Showtime, while audiences in the United Kingdom can see the fight broadcast live on ITV4 and streamed free via the ITV Hub. Date: Saturday, January 19 Video Play Button Videos you might like Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas PPV Start Time: 9 p.m. ET/2 a.m. GMT (Sunday, Jan. 20) Approx. Ring Walk Time: 12 a.m. ET/5 a.m. GMT Preview Saturday's showdown is a tough one to call in that Pac-Man—now in his fourth decade and approaching his 24th anniversary as a professional fighter—is drawing to an inevitable close in his career, while Broner has youth on his side. But exuberance has proved to be a pitfall for the younger of the pair in the past, and Pacquiao recently spoke to The Ring's Cynthia Conte at Freddie Roach's Wild Card gym, where he doubted Broner's knockout prediction: Per the Mirror's Martin Domin, Broner forecast a takeover of the boxing world after he's finished with Pacquiao, though he hasn't lost his sense of respect for a former idol: "Growing up and seeing Pacquiao fight, of course I always wanted to fight him. I'm a competitor. One day I want to be the best, and to be the best you have to beat the best. It starts here. “This is my first PPV but I was always supposed to be here. God doesn't make mistakes. After this victory, I will be taking over the sport of boxing. This is just the beginning. "His last fight he did stop [Lucas] Matthysse, so I'm pretty sure he still has power. But I'm going to be ready, I'm going to be ready for whatever he brings to the table. We're in shape to get it done, I can tell you that. "This win makes me an icon. It makes me what I always wanted to be, and what everybody always thought I would be. A win here and I'm a legend overnight." As Broner mentioned, Pacquiao was dominant in his last performance—a one-sided beating of Argentinian Matthysse in the seventh round of their bout last July—and the Filipino veteran has looked fresh in his preparations: Broner has had success against left-handers—he's gone 7-0 in his career, per Keith Idec of BoxingScene.com—but Pacquiao is nothing if not methodical, the kind of fighters The Problem has had issues with before. The balance is mismatched in Pacquiao's favour in terms of experience and career prestige, but Broner is far from out of the fixture, as Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe told FightHype.com: That being said, it's likely we'll see Pacquiao attempt to use Broner's own energy against him and draw out the fight as long as possible, making a late surge only when he senses his foe may be sapped. It will be of interest to see whether has put in the preparations to last until those later rounds, as even at 40 years of age, that's where this fight could be decided should Pac-Man be allowed to dictate the pace. Prediction: Pacquiao to win via unanimous decision.<doc-sep>
LAS VEGAS -- The final news conference for Manny Pacquiao's secondary welterweight world title defense against Adrien Broner on Wednesday at the MGM Grand's David Copperfield Theater played out just as most would have expected. There was Pacquiao, the beloved eight-division world champion and regal senator from the Philippines, cracking jokes, smiling, offering Bible verses and thanks to all for making his return to fight in the United States for the first time in more than two years possible, as well as professing his desire to put on a great fight for the fans. And then there was Broner, the profane big mouth who embraces the bad-guy role and played it to the hilt by spending most of his time at the podium spewing one curse word after another and showing disdain for those who have made him a significant underdog. Broner even shockingly went after Hall of Fame Showtime broadcaster Al Bernstein, one of the most genial people in the business, during a question-and-answer session meant to conclude the proceedings. Pacquiao and former four-division world titlist Broner will fight on Saturday (Showtime PPV, 9 p.m. ET) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, a venue where Pacquiao will be fighting for the 14th time in his storied career, including huge fights against Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Juan Manuel Marquez, Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton and Erik Morales. But Pacquiao's past two fights were overseas, a controversial decision loss to Jeff Horn in Horn's hometown of Brisbane, Australia, in July 2017, followed by a dominant seventh-round knockout of Lucas Matthysse -- Pacquiao's first KO in nine years -- to win the belt in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this past July. The Pacman said he was very happy to return to the United States to fight in the same place where he made his American debut in memorable fashion by knocking out Lehlo Ledwaba in 2001 to win a junior featherweight world title in the fight that helped launch him to stardom. "I fought in other countries because they wanted to see me there. Now I'm back to the United States," Pacquiao said with a huge smile across his face." America is my second home. My second daughter, Queen Elizabeth, was born here in the United States. "Being back here at MGM Grand makes me so happy. It's an honor to be in this position. I remember my first fight here in the U.S. was at MGM Grand. I will never forget that moment, and now I get to come back here and do it again." Pacquiao has had tax issues, owing the IRS eight figures, but he said that was not the reason he decided to fight his recent bouts overseas. "I'm not avoiding that [tax] problem. We're fixing that," Pacquiao said. Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs) was in a jovial mood. At 40, he is in the twilight of his career but still fighting at a high level and still clearly enjoying himself. "I feel so blessed and happy because of the excitement around this fight," he said. "It's come from the fans here in the U.S. and media all over the world. I want to go out there and make all the people happy. "The knockout in my last fight felt good. It felt like my younger days against Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and others. That fight was a big challenge for me to recover from the fight against Jeff Horn. People said that my career was done. But I never got discouraged, I just worked hard and made the knockout against Lucas Matthysse happen. People writing me off after the Jeff Horn fight was good for me. I'm not mad at anyone who thought that. It just became a challenge and a test to me of whether or not I could still show my best." Broner's demeanor was the opposite. Whenever he has stepped up against a top-level opponent he has lost decisions -- to Mikey Garcia, Shawn Porter and Marcos Maidana. He has sometimes not come into his fights in optimum condition, and he has had numerous legal issues, including two court cases against him that are ongoing. Still, Broner (33-3-1, 24 KOs), 29, of Cincinnati, was defiant, saying he would shock the world and that he has taken this fight more seriously than any in his career. "I'm not up here to talk a lot of trash. I've put in the work. It's fight time. After I win, everything is going to be different," Broner said.