Two leading boxing experts believe Cathedral City fighter Timothy Bradley is on the brink of superstar status, making him a hot property with promoters at the end of the month.
Bradley, the WBC and WBO light welterweight champion, likely will end his partnership with promoter Gary Shaw when their contract runs out at the end of June.
With what Bradley brings to the table, Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports said there’s no question the top promoters want to sign The Desert Storm.
?He’s one of the top 10 fighters in the world. He’s an undefeated world champion, and he is in a weight class that would put him in there against Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather,? Iole said. ?As a result, the promoters will want to sign him because of the big-money fights available for him. That’s why Tim is appealing to a lot of people.?
Bradley’s record stands at 27-0, winning all six world championship title fights, including two unification bouts.
Bradley’s last three victories have been over previously undefeated fighters.
In The Ring magazine’s pound-for-pound rankings, which recognizes the top fighters regardless of weight class, Bradley is ranked No. 6 in the world.
And the timing is a key. The big fight boxing is clamoring for is Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, the two biggest names in the sport.
With Mayweather coming out of hiatus to fight Victor Ortiz, it appears he is getting ready to fight Pacquiao, the top pound-for-pound fighter right now. That fight could be during the first three months of 2012.
?And the winner will need an opponent. Who better than Tim Bradley?? said Steve Farhood, boxing analyst for Showtime.
In addition to being a top boxer, Iole said that Bradley is also a marketable personality.
?Tim is a guy who is a real charismatic guy and you have a lot to market with him,? Iole said. ?He’s a good-looking guy from a good family, and you can market him as an All-American guy.?
Top of the list of promoters bidding for Bradley’s services will be Pacquiao’s promoter, Top Rank, and Mayweather’s promoter, Golden Boy.
