LAS VEGAS ? There was a time when Timothy Bradley didn’t know exactly where boxing would take him. He knew it was something he wanted to do, but if he was going to be successful at it, he was going to have to dedicate himself to it full time.
That meant that he was going to have trust his abilities and take a chance on his future.
So before his first championship fight against Junior Witter in England in 2008, Bradley quit his job at Mimi’s Caf? in Palm Springs, Calif., drained his and his wife’s bank accounts and dedicated himself to full-time training.
Bradley defeated Witter, winning the WBC and WBO junior welterweight title on a 12-round split decision. He earned $65,000 and took home a little over $40,000. The risk had paid off.
Now Bradley (28-0, 12 KOs) is looking to cash in big time. The undefeated WBO junior welterweight champion will take on Manny Pacquiao in a 12-round WBO welterweight title match at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on HBO PPV on Saturday night.
It is a career-defining fight for Bradley, who will earn the largest payday of his career ($5 million) on the biggest stage of his life. If he is awed by the moment, it doesn’t show. He earned his nickname “Desert Storm” because he’s from Palm Springs, Calif., and he fights like he’s at war.
“It’s been a long journey,” Bradley said. “I don’t know how long it will go on or how soon it will come to an end. But I spent 18 years of my life trying to get to this point. I came from fighting in what I call those lumberyard fights in California. Now I’m in Las Vegas fighting at the MGM Grand. As long as I kept working hard, I knew I’d get to this point.”
Bradley will carry that supreme belief in himself and his abilities into the ring against Pacquiao, one of the most accomplished boxers of the last seven years. But he is the first real threat that Pacquiao has faced in a long time, perhaps since he moved up from featherweight to challenge Erik Morales at junior lightweight in 2005. That was the last time that Pacquiao lost a match.
“Bradley, we knew he was tough when we took him,” said Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter. “That was by design. If we had put him in with just another opponent Manny would have gone in overconfident and he’d have another (terrible) performance.”
Bradley, 29, is the type of young, hungry opponent that Arum hopes will bring out the best in Pacquiao. Outside of Juan Manuel Marquez, who some believe beat Pacquiao in his last match on Nov. 12, Pacquiao has fought a string of big names at the end of their illustrious careers including Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Margarito, Ricky Hatton and Shane Mosley.
Bradley said if you stack up his recent competition against Pacquiao’s recent opposition, there is no comparison.
“My opponents have all been young lions, aggressive fighters all of them looking to make statements,” Bradley said.
Indeed they have as Bradley has beaten Lamont Peterson, Devon Alexander and got up off the canvas to defeat Kendall Holt.
Joel Diaz, Bradley’s long-time trainer, also has confidence in Bradley’s abilities. He said everyone should get ready for “the upset of the decade.” Okay the decade isn’t that old yet, but you get the point.
Bradley said he has always been about taking care of his family ? his wife, Monica and their three children. That risk he took seven years ago to drain their bank account and put all of his efforts into boxing full time is paying off. If he beats Pacquiao, there could be greater things ahead ? such as a potential match with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
But he thinks his calendar will be filled in the fall. There is a rematch clause that Pacquiao can execute if he loses.
“I would love to do a rematch with Pacquiao on Nov. 10,” Bradley said.
