MANNY Pacquiao takes on an unbeaten foe when he returns to the ring on June 9 to stake his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title.

But instead of the name Floyd Mayweather Jr., the challenger is going to be Timothy Bradley.

For Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s long-time trainer, Bradley (28-0, 12 KOs) could have been a better replacement. And for a reason.

“It’s nice to be fighting a fighter who’s undefeated and not worried about losing that O in his record and is willing to challenge us,” said the Hall of Fame trainer, a statement that’s obviously a dig against the villainous Mayweather (42,-0, 28 KOs).

Roach was with Pacquiao on Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time) at the elegant Beverly Hills Hotel in California for the first of a two-city, coast-to-coast media tour to promote the unlikely 12-round title match between Manny and Bradley, the reigning WBO junior welterweight champion.

Until the fight came along, the world remained agog about a Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown finally happening in what could easily be the biggest and richest bout in the brutal sports of prizefighting.

No wonder that even with Bradley now standing side-by-side with the Pacman and secured to earn the biggest payday of his career, questions about the aborted mega-match lingers on.

“I don’t think he’s (Mayweather) ready to fight now,” said Pacquiao of his boxing nemesis from Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The 33-year-old boxing champion turned Sarangani province congressman recalled his phone conversation with Floyd Jr. at the height when all bets are still on about making the fight happen.

“I told him, `we need to make this fight happen,” said Pacquiao. “I said I would agree to a 50-50 (split), and he said, `Oh, I’ll give you $40 million guarantee, and no pay-per-view. I’ll take all the pay-per-view.

“I don’t accept that offer. It’s kind of embarrassing to me. It’s trying to take advantage of me. It said to me he doesn’t want to fight now.”

With that negotiations with Mayweather Jr. falling through, and Pacquiao now had to settle for Bradley, the native of Cathedral City, California, who’s moving up in weight to realize his dream showdown with boxing’s biggest superstar today.

Although a 5-1 favorite, Pacquiao isn’t about to take his 28-year-old challenger lightly.

“I’m willing to fight Mayweather,” said Pacquiao, clad in casual jeans and green striped, long sleeve polo. “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.”

While he may be light years apart to Mayweather in terms of boxing skills, Bradley talks thrash as capable as Floyd Jr. does.

“I have the skills and defense to compete with Pacquiao,” Bradley, in an all-brown suit, said confidently. “ I feel it’s time for a new face in boxing. And that’s me.

(Pacquiao) hasn’t seen my caliber of fighter in a long time. Speed for speed, punch for punch, I’m right there with him. If he’s thinking retirement, that’s in my favor. I’m in my prime.”

In as much as he’s dying to have his prized boxer pitted against Mayweather Jr., who’s bound to face Miguel Cotto on May 5 in a super-welterweight title match, Roach would have to be contented at the moment with Bradley, a warrior he once described as a `dirty fighter.’

“It’s a tough test, this is a young guy coming up to take on the established guy, and being undefeated can make you highly resilient to losing,” said Roach.

“But I don’t think we’re that old,” he added in downplaying Pacquiao’s highly-debatable performance against Mexican nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez that saw the Filipino southpaw eked out a majority decision in his last fight.

“I don’t think he (Bradley) can match Manny’s speed. Bradley likes to come in with his head, but I’ll have Manny put his fists where that head will be.”