LAS VEGAS — It wasn’t exactly a performance of the ages but in his triumphant return to Sin City following a 26-month absence, Manny Pacquiao defied his age by outworking a game but over matched Adrien Broner en route to a successful defense of his WBA welterweight belt.
Pacquiao landed on 112 of 568 total punches compared to Broner’s 50-of-295 connect rate.
PacMan also dominated the jabs, 30 of 371 against Adrien’s 11 of 115.
To complete the clean-up Pacquiao rocked Broner with 82 of 97 power punches while the American managed just 38 of 180.
Apparently, 40 is the new 30.
The mixture of power and workmanlike effort earned Pacquiao the judges’ nod via unanimous decision — 117-111 and 116-112 twice.
Pacquiao took control of the bout early, sticking jabs and throwing volleys of combination shots on the retreating Broner early on.
Broner has his moments and tagged PacMan with stealthy counter punches.
But the Filipino Senator was too good, too strong as he aggressively pursued a knockout and hammered Broner in the seventh and ninth rounds.
“Our training is the same but we made adjustments with our strategy in terms of body recovery because we are not young anymore,” Pacquiao said when asked about how his fight style has changed over the last five years.
With Broner quickly out of the way, Pacquiao has trained his sights once more on a familiar foe, Floyd Mayweather.
“Challenge me,” said boxing’s only eight-division champion.
Photo via Homer Sayson — Credit: Tamias Photography
