SONAHR: LAS VEGAS, Nevada – December 14, 2014 – Timothy ?Desert Storm? Bradley is a very good fighter. He may even be a great fighter. Over the past few years, however, he has also been a fighter who draws controversy the way certain waste matter draws flies.
In 2012, he received a decision over Manny Pacquiao that few observers thought he deserved. At the beginning of last year, he gutted out a win against Ruslan Provodnikov that could easily have gone the other way, as some critics asserted vociferously. On Saturday, Bradley came away with a draw in a 12-round bout with Diego Chaves, an Argentine badass in the mold of countrymen Marcos Maidana and Lucas Matthysse. Again, the decision was hotly disputed. But this time, Bradley was the one thought to be the victim of inaccurate ? if not incompetent ? officiating.
Judge Burt Clements tabbed it 115-113 for Bradley. Judge Julie Lederman had it 116-112 for Chaves. Judge Craig Metcalfe tallied 114-114, thus rendering the result a split draw. Ringside observers such as ESPN?s Dan Rafael saw it as a whitewash for Bradley at 119-109. Only Chaves? corner and judge Lederman seemed to think the Argentine had done enough to win.
Chaves himself is no stranger to controversy. Before taking on Bradley, he lost by disqualification in nine rounds in a foul-filled brawl with Brandon Rios. A bit of shady stuff occurred in the Bradley bout, too, with clashes of heads that caused one of Bradley?s cheeks to balloon, and a low blow by Tim that sent Chaves to one knee in the 11th frame.
But there was also lots of legitimate action in this bout, with plenty of scintillating exchanges. Bradley, a skilled ring technician, has become more of an action fighter of late, even though he still doesn?t qualify as a knockout artist. Unlike in the Pacquiao and Provodnikov fights, this time the crowd was rooting for ?Desert Storm? and expressed dismay when he didn?t get the win he deserved.
But he didn?t lose, either. So he remains in the mix in the talent-rich welterweight division, even though he hasn?t possessed a title belt since Pacquiao defeated him in their second bout earlier this year.
A rematch with Chaves is a strong possibility. It?s doubtful that Bradley will get a third crack at Pacquiao, or a first crack at Floyd Mayweather Jr. But bouts against the likes of Kell Brook, Keith Thurman and Amir Khan ? who defeated Devon Alexander on the same night as the Bradley-Chaves encounter ? are strong possibilities.
The knock against Bradley used to be that his style stunk out the joint. Although it may be cold comfort for Bradley, on Saturday it was the judges who were the source of the stench.
