CATHEDRAL CITY ? WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley said fighting a boxer the caliber of Juan Manuel Marquez was more important to him than the money he passed on to fight Manny Pacquiao in a rematch in China.
Bradley, the Cathedral City resident, spoke exclusively with The Desert Sun about his Sept. 14 fight against Marquez at the Thomas and Mack Arena for the first time since signing his contract last week.
While Bradley wouldn?t discuss his purse, he confirmed it was less than the $6 million the Pacquiao camp was offering. Bradley said he had no interest in fighting in Asia, but also felt a fight against Marquez could mean more for his legacy.
?Sometimes it?s not just about the money. Sometimes it?s about making career moves,? Bradley said. ?This makes sense. It just makes sense. I think the styles make for an interesting fight and it?s a tough fight for both fighters.
?To be the best, you have to beat the best, and Marquez is one of the best fighters in the world,? Bradley said. ?It?s right next to Floyd Mayweather when it comes to the best counter punchers in the game. I just want to take on one of the best, and that?s the reason I took on Marquez.?
Bradley and Marquez both beat Pacquiao in 2012. Bradley scored a split-decision victory in June that generated world-wide controversy. In the fourth fight of their rivalry, Marquez knocked Pacquiao out cold in December.
?I feel Marquez is the fight everyone wants to see. I think it?s a great fight, an explosive fight and a very entertaining fight. I want to see what I can do against a guy like Marquez. He?s a legend. He?s a living legend.?
The lead-up to the September bout features an unusual situation in that two organizations will conduct random drug testing on both fighters. Bradley worked with Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) for his last fight. Bradley said it was his understanding that Marquez wasn?t comfortable with VADA and wanted to use the USADA, the U.S. anti-doping agency.
So they will use both, and each fighter will be tested twice, Bradley said.
