In part 2 of my interview with undefeated WBO Welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, he gives his thoughts on a upcoming match up that could effect the direction of his boxing career, Pacquiao vs Rios, speaking on who he thinks wins the fight and why. Tim also spoke on how he thinks he would go about fighting Manny Pacquiao in a rematch, and if he thinks he would be able to get a decision if the fight takes place in china. Additionally ?Desert Storm? talked about a potential fight between himself and Floyd Mayweather, and also if he thinks that fight can happen despite the promoters bad blood. Here is what Timothy Bradley had to say.
Jenna J: Now Tim, people are saying the same thing with Manny Pacquiao, that they were saying about you, wondering how he will comeback. Do you see any kind of risk for Pacquiao in his upcoming fight with Brandon Rios?
Timothy Bradley: There is always risk when you are in there with a big puncher, absolutely, but like I always tell everybody, speed kills, speed kills in every sport, it does not matter what sport it is. If you are faster than a guy, then you should be able to beat him. I just feel that Pacquiao is super fast, super strong, punches well with either hand.
I think Rios is gritty, he?ll withstand however much he possibly can to go in there and get the win, and I think it?s a great fight, but I still got to favor Pacquiao because I honestly think he?s tailor made for him. I just feel Pacquiao does well when guys come at him and let their hands go.
Rios is not a real big defensive guy at all. He keeps his hands high, but Pacquiao is the kind of fighter that punches through guards. You keep your guard up, he punches through guards and I feel that he?s going to punch through Rios? guard and pick him to pieces. That?s just what I feel. I don?t know if he?ll knock him out, but there?s a possibly that he can, he can bust him up and possibly get him out of there.
Jenna: Tim, if Pacquiao does win that fight against Rios, do you think you can dictate some of the terms of the rematch, being that already have a win against him, and beat the man that knocked him out?
Bradley: That?s the way it should be, but it?s not always like it?s boiled up to be. Let me tell you, the business part of boxing sucks. I love the boxing game, I love that you always have a chance in the fight, but the business part just sucks. So Pacquiao even though he?s coming off a loss, he is still a huge, huge draw. He?s still the money pig in the business, he can pick and choose who he wants to fight at any time.
I feel that the fact that I beat Marquez, I feel that I should have more rights going into this fight, absolutely, and I?m going to fight for every inch if the fight were to go down, because I?m the champion coming in. With that being said, we are definitely going to have to talk if he wins this fight.
If he wants to fight me and I want to fight him, I?m letting the world know I want a rematch with this guy. I know I turned it down the first time, I turned it down cause I wanted a new chest, I wanted something new and I got it with Marquez, I beat him and now we are moving on.
Jenna: This fight is about redemption for you, but for Pacquiao, he may want to have a rematch with Marquez more then a rematch with you, because of the way that fight ended for himself. Do you think Pacquiao might choose a fifth fight with Juan Manuel Marquez instead?
Bradley: Them guys have already fought four times already, I don?t understand why they need to do another one, I honestly don?t. I think it?s a dangerous fight for either guy. Both guys know each other very well, if that?s something he wants to revisit, it?s great, that?s fantastic. It is what it is, it?s on him, I?m just letting everybody know I want to face him and regardless, if he don?t want to face me, then he don?t want to face me, and there is nothing I can do about.
Jenna: Tim if you were to get that second on opportunity to face Pacquiao, what would you do differently to comes away with a clear cut win?
Bradley: I?m just going to take it to his ass, me I?m going to take it to his ass. Plain and simple, I told you the fight is personal, and everybody was like ?Oh he ran the first time? nah, I?m taking it to you buddy, I?m going to tell you the game plan right now. Game plan is to bite down on my mouth piece and I?m taking it right to you from round 1 and we are going to war.
It?s plan and simple, I?m going to war this time, without a doubt in my mind, I?m going straight at him and I?m attacking him from every angle. I?m always going to have my great defense, I?m always going to use my defensive skills and my foot work to get out of range, but for the most part I?m going forward, I?m coming to get him.
Jenna: Ok, now it?s interesting you say you want to come right at him because when you had your best success against Pacquiao, you were actually giving him angles and boxing him. Why would you want to change that up and go right after him for this fight?
Bradley: Why not? If I?m going over to Asia, I have no chance of winning the fight, so I might as well just go at him and make it a dog fight because if I?m gonna take that trip over the big sea, there?s just no way in hell I?m gonna win a decision over in Asia. There?s no way.
Jenna: Now Tim, for yourself, you said after the fight that you?re the top 3 pound for pound, you got Floyd Mayweather, Andre Ward and yourself. Now, with Mayweather being at 1, I know that must burn at you. He?s in your same weight class, he?s the guy who?s regarded as champion at welterweight. Does it bother you that, that fight is very unlikely to happen because of two promotional companies that can?t work with each other?
Bradley: Right, it does hurt the sport a little bit, the fact that this is going on, but at this time, that?s the way the sport is right now. A lot of these promoters are building monopolies basically and they?re trying to buy up all the fighters and they?re fighting in house and a lot of stuff is going on with the different networks and all that.
At the same time it sucks because I would love an opportunity to fight a great fighter like Floyd Mayweather and get in the ring with the best. I wanna continue to fight the best but you know, it?s just not the nature of the sport anymore. It definitely has transitioned and it?s definitely different now, so it sucks, but what are you gonna do? These guys don?t do business together, I truly believe that, they don?t do business together, for whatever reason.
Jenna: Now if you clearly beat Pacquiao, do you think that can overcome the business angle, that it becomes a fight that is so big that it will overshadow any promotional issues and that fight can be made?
Bradley: I think anything is possible, if my promoters are willing to work and their promoters are willing to work to make this fight happen. I think that both sides gotta be willing to work to make it happen. I think that anything is possible in this life so I would never say never but at this moment I just feel honestly deep in my heart that the fight is still some time away because of the promotional differences that these guys have.
Jenna: Alright if you get that fight that you desire, a rematch with Manny Pacquiao, what would the result be, how will it play out?
Bradley: Oh I just know that at the end of the day, like I always say, I never say I?m gonna knock a guy out or stop a guy, I wasn?t born with that god given power. I was born with ring smarts, speed, stamina out of this world, and great defense as well, I make guys miss. I think honestly at the end of 12 rounds my hand should be raised. I will be in Asia probably if the fight was to happen, so we would definitely have to see how things would be over there, especially if I win the fight and everybody sees that I won the fight, will I get the decision?
Jenna: Pacquiao?s people tell him what?s going on in the press and here?s your opportunity now, if you had any message you could to pass directly to Manny Pacquiao, what would that be?
Bradley: Good luck (laughs). Good luck on November, I hope you do well, I hope you win and lets go back to the drawing board baby and lets get it on. Lets talk about this rematch.
Jenna: Finally, to all your fans out there, the Desert Storm fans out there, any message you want to pass along to them?
Bradley: Yeah, all the fans out there, I just want to thank them for all the support, thank you for just riding with me and shutting up all these haters that?s around. I?m happy that they getting that money, cause I know they put some money down on me and we won so all those haters are pissed off because they have a little less money in their pocket now.
So we will just continue on to shine and continue to show the world what we?re made of. I?m gonna continue to work hard and prove to everybody that I?m one of the best fighters in the world pound for pound. I?m not gonna stop until I get that number one spot, I wanna be number one in the world pound for pound.
