There are a lot of reasons why Timothy Bradley believes he will dethrone Manny Pacquiao when the two fighters meet on June 9th in Las Vegas. I had the pleasure of swinging through Bradley?s camp in Indio, California and I can attest that the young champion is tremendous shape and full of confidence.
The fight may be weeks away but Bradley was training as if he were ready for a fight this weekend.There is a lot to like about Bradley, including how humble he is as a person as well as his family-first attitude. Bradley made it a point to make me feel welcome to his gym and it was worth noting how tight-knit his camp is. While some camps like that of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. always have a packed crowd and a big entourage surrounding both fighters, Bradley keeps his circle small and that seems to be how he likes it. But you can forget about Bradley?s kind nature when it comes to fighting, as he showed off a variety of skills and a furious work ethic while in training.
Bradley?s chiseled body is a testament to all the hard hours he has been putting in and I feel as if he will be a tough foe for Pacquiao come fight night. Speaking to the fighter?s trainer Joel Diaz after Bradley?s workout, he revealed exactly why it?s best that they keep their team tight and without a huge entourage.
?A lot of fighters, as they start getting famous, they start becoming that fighter that everybody wants to be around,? Diaz would state. ?And all of a sudden, you have a big entourage. With Tim, it?s different. He has friends and stuff, but for training, he started off with his family and his team, which is just a few of us, and that?s the way it?s always been and the way he wants to keep it.?
Lately there has been a little turmoil in Pacquiao?s camp, as strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza left the Philippines early to be with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. instead of Manny, who was training in Baguio City. Some people insist Ariza?s move was based on money and Diaz says that things like that will eventually bother a fighter.
?Imagine, when you have 100 people, among them, they are fighting over position,” Diaz pointed out to me. “They are fighting over money. They?re fighting over who is going to be in the corner, who is going to go in the ring, who is going to be in the dressing room. And that, put together, distracts a fighter.?
But no matter what version of Pacquiao shows up, Tim Bradley is going to be ready. Shortly before I left the gym on the first day a conversation between Bradley and one of his gym members. The conversation basically boiled down to Bradley asking his stable mate about when his next fight was, only to be told that he was unsure about a fight because he needed motivation in order to get ready for a fight. Hearing that response surprised Bradley, who pointed out ?He?s trying to take food off your table and from your family that?s all the motivation you need! True enough, Tim Bradley is focused for June 9th. Expect much more coverage from Camp Bradley in the coming weeks.
