LAS VEGAS ? It takes more than an undefeated record and being the No. 1 boxer in your weight class to secure a lucrative spot on a pay-per-view bout against Manny Pacquiao.
When it came to Timothy Bradley, it was his manager Cameron Dunkin who put the Cathedral City boxer in the spotlight and in position for his dream fight.
So when Bradley makes his opening statement in any news conference, he always gets in his appreciation for Dunkin, calling him the best manager, period.
?He sealed and delivered everything he promised me from day one,? Bradley said. ?I’m just grateful and thankful I have someone like Cameron Dunkin watching out for my best interests, and my family’s interests and my career. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be sitting in this position.
?Without him, I was lost. I felt like I was getting ripped off.?
Dunkin has ties to the desert, having represented in the past Antonio Diaz and his brother Julio, the two-time lightweight champion. Currently, Dunkin represents the top two local prospects in Coachella’s Randy Caballero and Indio’s Gabino Saenz.
What drives Dunkin is not necessarily money.
?The guys I take on, I love, in my own sick way. I love these guys,? Dunkin said. ?I have to love them to manage them. I can’t just manage a guy to get a check. I’ve made enough money. I don’t need to do that and I don’t want to do that.?
In the case of Bradley, Dunkin invested his own money to help Bradley get out of a bad situation.
When Bradley called Dunkin, he was already a two-time world champion. But Bradley was frustrated because he didn’t make what he was worth.
Despite his undefeated record, Bradley felt like he was running in place, rather than moving up the chain for a big pay-per- view fight. Few people knew Bradley, and while Dunkin is in the boxing game, even his knowledge of the Desert Storm was limited.
?I knew he went to England and he won, and kind of what he did,? Dunkin said. ?I was excited about the phone call (from Bradley). I started checking him out and watched his fights on YouTube. This guy is something else.?
