When Timothy Bradley won the WBC Jr. Welterweight title this past Saturday, in addition to the one he already owned from the WBO, Devon Alexander’s face had hints of crimson as a result of two cuts that ultimately stopped the bout. Both fighters matched speed for speed, blow for blow, and skill for skill, resulting in Alexander’s undefeated record and title being wrested from him. This seemingly glorious moment for the sport of boxing was marred by the ugly fight between two clashing styles that took place, and while there was one winner and one loser, it came to show that the title of “Superstar” was not going to be granted to either man standing in that ring that night.
The expectations of Bradley-Alexander were so high that we were expecting a new American superstar to emerge from the ring that night, but that clearly wasn’t the case. Both Bradley and Alexander left the ring that night as they entered; good but certainly not great. The future ahead is uncertain for both men, but neither are quite yet ready for the jump to the big leagues as many were hoping they would be.
Bradley is facing an administration change as his contract with Gary Shaw expires in May, leaving Bradley to choose who he wants to work with. Being that it is extremely unlikely Bradley will fight before that time, and considering whispers of dissatisfaction with his promoter, Bradley will be going a different direction for his summer return. The most logical opponent is WBA Jr. Welterweight champion Amir Khan, but Bradley wants Floyd Mayweather Jr. once his legal issues are out of the way, and there is of course Manny Pacquiao, who Bob Arum would match Bradley up with in a heartbeat only if Bradley signs with Top Rank.
While I do think very highly of Bradley, and I believe him to be a budding star yet, I actually think he is setting himself up for defeat if he’s looking for a fight with Mayweather or Pacquiao. Khan would be the most winnable for him, but the least realistic. Khan’s struggle to find an opponent for his U.K. homecoming has mostly come from his end, as a result of him trying to find the cheapest, lightest-hitting opponent available. Bradley honestly has a better chance against Mayweather than he would against Pacquiao, based solely on Mayweather’s inactivity stemming from his legal troubles, but as in “better” chance, I still mean no chance.
While HBO would like to get Khan and Bradley together for a summer clash, it will really be based more on who Bradley will be promoted by at that time than his availability, and if Khan is ready for another big fight following his near-disasterous fight with Marcos Maidana last December. While I think signing with Golden Boy Promotions is equivalent to cashing a check at a bank with no money, GBP has more attractive fighters from 135 to 140 for Bradley to fight if Khan isn’t available.
As for Alexander, who many have wrongfully labeled as a quitter in defeat last weekend, he may actually have more options than the champion. The most logical choice would be a homecoming fight with Zab Judah, should Judah defeat Kaiser Mabuza for the IBF title in March. He could also challenge Maidana as a consolation match-up from the defacto final four HBO has done, or he could give Andriy Kotelnik a rematch of their close fight from last August. Experience is going to be the key for Alexander, in whatever fight he decides to take next, by just focusing on activity as opposed to sitting on his shots. Bradley gave him no respect and kept pushing Alexander back. While a headbutt that may have caused nerve damage did Alexander in last weekend, the kid is only 23 and has a lot to learn.
Either way, I doubt that these two will meet again in a rematch of any capacity and my advice for both is to look back at this fight as a starting point for the rest of their careers. Bradley has some guaranteed quality fights ahead of him, and believe it or not, so does Alexander, but the time is now to make everything happen for their careers, not during their underwhelming showing last weekend.
