Pacquiao Says Bradley Deserves Match

BEVERLY HILLS, California (AP) - Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley Jr. both realize almost every boxing fan wishes Floyd Mayweather Jr. had been standing next to Pacquiao at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Tuesday.

But when Pacquiao and Mayweather failed to make a deal for the fight everybody wants to see, Pacquiao moved down the list of contenders to make a fight he hopes his fans will enjoy.

Pacquiao and Bradley are getting an early start on the promotional circuit for their welterweight bout June 9 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas. Even while the Filipino congressman and his unbeaten opponent posed for photos and praised each other in the peach-colored ballroom at the historic Hollywood hideaway, Pacquiao and his camp realized Mayweather's absence looms over the proceedings.

''I'm willing to fight Mayweather,'' Pacquiao said.

''But I have to fight the guys who are hungry to fight me. Timothy Bradley is strong, and he can punch. He's a good boxer, so it's a challenge to fight a guy like that.''

Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KOs) realizes he'll have to do plenty of promoting to get fans interested in a fight against Bradley, a 140-pound champion from Palm Springs, California, who has never been in a fraction of the spotlight that follows Pacquiao across the globe. Pacquiao will make sure every fan knows all about Bradley (28-0, 12 KOs), praising him as a game opponent who enjoys a good action fight as much as he does - another indirect swipe at the defense-oriented Mayweather.

''It's nice to be fighting a fighter who is undefeated and not worried about losing that zero on his record,'' said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's longtime trainer.