Timothy Bradley said he signed with his new promoter Top Rank to increase his name recognition, but there’s a great hazard in that plan should he instead be just the latest replacement foe of Manny Pacquiao who further delays a Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. megafight.
The unbeaten Bradley will fight veteran Joel Casamayor on Nov. 12 in Las Vegas in the main feature under that night’s Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez III main event.
By signing with Top Rank, Bradley admitted Wednesday at the Beverly Hills Hotel he left more than a $1.4-million offer to fight Amir Khan in July on the table. Why do such a thing unless you strongly believe a super-fight against Pacquiao is in your immediate future?
While Bradley said he was not promised or guaranteed any such deal, Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum said should Pacquiao beat Marquez and a bout against Mayweather remain unavailable, “It’s an open book. If the stars are aligned, that’s the fight [with Bradley], we’d be inclined to make.” Let’s get this straight, however, knowing the bitterness that exists between both Mayweather and his former promoter Arum, and the dislike between Mayweather and Pacquiao.
Mayweather is Option No. 1 for Pacquiao, right?
“Of course,” Arum said. “Always has been.”
Arum said Bradley provides insurance should Mayweather’s legal trouble in Las Vegas increase as he moves toward a criminal trial for allegedly assaulting the mother of his three children and threatening the children.
“Mayweather has the toughest fight of his career in the next couple of months,” Arum said. “Let’s talk about that before we talk about anything else.”
Bradley made it a point Wednesday to discuss how much he’d like to fight Pacquiao.
“He’s fast, powerful, a lefty — he has all the tricks of the trade,” Bradley said. “I’ve been watching this guy since he signed with Bob. You can almost say I’m infatuated with him. He’s the best, and if I don’t fight the pound-for-pound king, how do I know how good I am?”
