Promoter Bob Arum is staging the April 12 rematch between Timothy Bradley and Manny Pacquiao at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on HBO pay-per-view). Their first fight – in June 2012 at the same place – ended in controversy when Bradley was judged a split-decision winner over Pacquiao in a fight Pacquiao appeared to have won by as many as four points.

Arum recently was asked if this rematch coming later rather than sooner was a good thing. Both fighters have had two fights since that first go-round.

“Because of the controversy in the first fight, if we had done an immediate rematch I think most of the time being spent by the media would have been on ‘Was the first fight fixed?’ therefore getting a second fight, and now you don’t hear any of that because obviously the fighters went on to do their thing against other opponents.  Now we have a great fight and there is no adverse commentary as to any kind of manipulation in the first fight.”

 Pacquiao, 35, is 55-5-2 with 38 knockouts. Bradley, 30, is 31-0 with 12 knockouts.