Timothy Bradley Jr. is looking to capitalize on his second shot at the big time. Bradley will face co-pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao on June 9. While the “Desert Storm” understands the sports world is still clamoring for the hard-fighting Filipino to duke it out with Floyd Mayweather Jr., Bradley would prefer to put beleaguered boxing fans out of their misery by putting a swift end to the frustrating talks by literally knocking Pacquiao out of consideration.
Many St. Louisans should remember Bradley from his high-profile bout with Devon Alexander last year. Despite neither being “big name” fighters, the matchup received plenty of attention as it pitted two young, up and coming, undefeated fighters against each other. Sadly, the hometown kid gave a lackluster performance and though Bradley controlled the bout, the overall disappointment of the fight prevented him from seeing much of a rise in popularity.
Though Bradley is a highly skilled fighter, with a solid blend of speed, power, athleticism and ring intelligence, he rarely uses the combination traits in an explosive matter. He often likes to pressure opponents, but doesn’t do significant damage very often. While he sports a glistening record of 28-0, only 12 of those wins are by way of knockout. Pacquiao on the other hand, has knocked out 38 of the 54 opponents he’s beaten and has had numerous opponents make that mid-fight career change to ‘track star’ in order to finish the fight on their feet. As a matter of fact, Bradley’s most explosive weapon may be his freshly-shaved dome which often inadvertently finds its way to an opponent’s face with astounding accuracy. I haven’t seen a more intimidating head in the ring since Holyfield and his hammerhead ruled the heavyweight division.
While Bradley has the talent to test Pacquiao, he’ll have to hope the referee allows him to get away with rough tactics on the inside and have some success as a counter-puncher, a la Juan Manuel Marquez, instead of being the aggressor at all times. Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach believes Bradley will fail miserably and stated that Bradley could get put to sleep as early as the second-round as did Ricky Hatton versus “Pac-Man.” The comment was likely just a playful jab by the trainer in what amounts to pre-fight gamesmanship, but it’s clear Roach is not overly impressed by Bradley’s work in the ring. He does acknowledge, however, that Bradley will show up fit and determined in his first bout as a pay-per-view headliner.
For boxing fans, both casual and hardcore, the bout represents the latest hurdle standing in the way of a Mayweather-Pacquiao bout this winter. Mayweather handled his business versus Miguel Cotto in exciting fashion and will now head off to jail for an 87-day stay. If Pacquiao, a 5-to-1 favorite, can get past Bradley, the spotlight will once again fall on the world’s two top fighters to get a deal done after Mayweather’s release. But even then, the pound-for-pound drama queen of the ring’s insistence of a lion’s share of the purse continues to push the bout further away
Bradley seeks to end the talk now by beating Pacquiao to the punch and jumping in line for a chance at earning Mayweather money. Realistically, barring a stoppage on cuts, Bradley’s best bet is to make a good showing during the bout. Pacquiao is simply on another level and when Bradley comes forward with his mild mitts, Manny may counter with chin music that could either leave Bradley dancing for the remaining rounds or sleeping for the rest of the night. Regardless, despite Bradley’s low-profile, it should be an exciting fight however long it lasts.
Paul Williams paralyzed
It’s very sad to hear about former welterweight champion Paul “The Punisher” Williams’ devastating motorcycle crash, rendering the boxer paralyzed from the waist down. Williams’ was gutsy and exciting in the ring. He ventured between 147-160 pounds with no fear and always came to fight. Doctors don’t expect him to ever walk again, much less fight. Prayers and well-wishes go out to him and his family.
