When it comes to the promotion for the upcoming rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley, much of the talk revolves around the controversy in the scoring of the first fight. The fight was scored very closely by all three judges, with each having the fight decided by only 2 points. The decision shocked many boxing fans and enraged others, and with many experts predicting that the rematch could be potentially even closer than the first in terms of action, could we see controversy once again?
In the third and final part of my interview with Timothy Bradley, I asked him if he feels the second fight will be even bigger than the first. I also get his views on being the second choice from Manny Pacquiao, who first tried to arrange a 5th fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, and if he was surprised Marquez turned the fight down. Additionally Bradley discusses potentially being the man to retire Manny Pacquiao, and gives his official prediction for the bout. Here is what Timothy Bradley had to say.
Jenna J: Tim, do you think the rematch will be bigger than the first fight because of the controversy?
Timothy Bradley: Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely. I?m at a different level now, I?m at a different level than when I fought him the first time. I just came off a big win against Marquez, I had the fight of the year against Provodnikov.
Everybody wants to see what?s gonna happen in this fight, a lot of people are gonna tune in. Everybody wants to see what Pacquiao?s gonna do, if he can knock me out and everybody wants to see if I can really beat him.
Jenna J: In regards to the whole Pacquiao talks, you weren?t actually the first guy to be offered the fight with Manny, Marquez was, he was offered ten million dollars for the rematch and he turned it down. Were you surprised that Marquez didn?t want a fifth fight with him?
Timothy Bradley: Nah, you get tired of fighting the same guy. It?s even hard to get up when you?re fighting a guy and you?ve fought him like twice, say you lose one and you come back and you have a rematch and then you fight him again it?s easy to get up, but like three, four times, come on.
Then you seal the deal by knocking him out in the fourth fight it?s like, ?Hey, why do another fight? Dude I knocked you out cold, it?s over it?s done.? Close that chapter in your career, it?s over, it?s over, you?re just like, ?No I don?t wanna do it.?
Marquez don?t have to fight for money, Marquez has tons of money and he?s comfortable and he?s content with his career and where he is and what he?s done. The only thing now is he wants a rematch with me because he wants to prove to himself and the fans that he can beat me and he wants to be the first guy to do that and he wants my title, he wants that welterweight title.
Jenna J: In regards to Marquez, when it?s all said and done, because him and Pacquiao have fought so many times, in your honest opinion, who do you think will have the greater legacy? Marquez, the guy that ended the chapter knocking him out or Manny Pacquiao, who won all the division titles?
Timothy Bradley: Both of them are gonna have great legacies, they?re both on different levels as far as stardom goes. Marquez is a superstar but Manny Pacquiao is an icon, he?s a legend. Marquez is a legend as well but Marquez is no icon.
When you talk about boxing, the two name you hear are Mayweather of course, he?s the best in the business and then you hear Manny Pacquiao. So you know, they are two different levels as far as what they?ve done in the ring, two different levels and all their accomplishments and how many people look up to these guys. A lot of people look up to Pacquiao, a lot more than they look up to Marquez.
Jenna J: One thing you said earlier, if you beat Manny Pacquiao he may well retire, his career may well be over. How would you feel if you were the man responsible for ending Manny Pacquiao?s career?
Timothy Bradley: Man I?ll tell you, I?ve retired more folks than social security, I?m telling you. This not gonna be any different. Marquez is about to get ready to retire and I know Rios said in his last fight he was gonna retire him or whatever, I?m just gonna beat the man and if he retires then hey, he retires.
This can be very, very bad for his career if he loses again because he is trying to rise again and he?s trying to get that big fight with Mayweather and he?s trying to do everything he possibly can to try and seal that deal, but the train stops here, the train stops here!
One day somebody will, there?s a few people out there who support me and I?m pretty sure more than a few people, but everybody is gonna get it sooner or later, especially after April 12th so, that?s all I have to say about that.
Jenna J: Speaking of Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, lets say hypothetically you fall into a punch, he wins the fight, do you think that fight would ever really happen? Do you think even if Pacquiao beat you or beat you decisively, do you think the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight would even happen in that case?
Timothy Bradley: I think anything?s possible like I told you, Mayweather hasn?t fought him yet and I don?t understand why. I think Mayweather can beat him but I don?t know why he hasn?t fought him yet, I don?t understand why. If you want to break the PPV record which you already set on your own, you can break it with Manny, I?ll tell you that much!
I don?t know, I really don?t know, but like I said I think anything?s possible, but that whole thing with me getting miraculously getting knocked out, (laughs) that?s not gonna happen. He couldn?t knock me out with two bad feet, he?s not gonna knock me out with two good feet.
Jenna J: Final question for you Tim, fans listening out there, when you get in the ring with Manny Pacquiao, what is your official prediction?
Timothy Bradley: It?s gonna be a high intensity fight, I expect it to be interesting, I expect some of the rounds to be close, and I expect it to be a split decision win for me in my favor. At the end of the twelve rounds they will hold up my hands and I?m gonna be victorious once again, undefeated.
Jenna J: You said split decision?
Timothy Bradley: Yeah, it?s gonna be a split decision, it?s not gonna be a unanimous decision, there?s no way in hell. I can beat him every round, it?s still gonna be a split decision.
Jenna J: In closing Tim, any message you want to pass on to your fans out there?
Timothy Bradley: Oh yeah, to all my fans out there that support me I just want to say thank you for all your support and love and staying with me all the way through this and we?re getting another crack at this stardom in beating a legend so hold on and enjoy this ride.
