Timothy Bradley’s dream is to fight the best – but insists he must earn the right to do so.
The 23-year-old WBO light-welterweight champion is aiming at potential showdowns with the likes of Amir Khan, Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao in the future, but first he must get past Devon Alexander in Pontiac, Michigan on January 29.
“I do want Amir Khan, I do want Mayweather and Pacquiao,” said Bradley. “In order to get to these guys (Mayweather and Pacquiao), I would have to fight Amir Khan first in order to be mentioned in the same breath with a Mayweather or a Pacquiao.
“There is a lot of added pressure due to the fact this fight (with Alexander) could put me on the brink of greatness.
“I have worked very hard to get to this position and now it’s time to put up or shut up. I want to show the world what I’m capable of doing.”
Bradley (26-0 11KOs) – who beat England’s Junior Witter back in 2008 – has not had it easy in his career, but has so far negotiated everything put in front of him.
“It is just hard work,” said Bradley, who at 5ft 6in is not the tallest light-welterweight. “The harder I work, the more confidence I get. I know I put in the time and the hours and the sacrifice.”
All this gazing into the crystal ball won’t mean a thing if Bradley doesn’t get past Alexander.
That won’t be easy. Alexander, 23, is 21-0 with 13 knockouts, 3-0 with two knockouts in world title fights. He could be Bradley’s most stern test to date.
“This could possibly be my toughest fight, due to the fact that Devon Alexander, he is extremely talented,” Bradley said. “And the fact that he is young and he’s a hungry opponent.
“He has speed and youth and skill and he is a lefty. He has a lot of great traits.”
