Former light welterweight and welterweight world champion, Timothy ?Desert Storm? Bradley has been one of the elite fighters in the 147lb division, having fought and beat the likes of Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez in a career that has seen him amass a record of 31-1-1. Bradley now gets ready to fight a rising undefeated contender in Jessie Vargas, a bout which will have the interim WBO welterweight title on the line.
I had a chance to speak to ?Desert Storm? ahead of his June 27th clash and got his views on the opponent he?s going to be facing. Tim also speaks about coming off of a controversial draw in his last bout and what he plans to do differently to avoid a situation like that again. Additionally, Bradley gives his thought on the Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather bout and what role the shoulder injury of Pacquiao played in the match. Here is what Tim Bradley had to say in part 1 of his interview.
Jenna J: How do you feel about the fight you have this weekend against Jessie Vargas?
Timothy Bradley: It?s a good match up, to get back in the ring with a very top fighter. Jessie is looking to make a name for himself with an opportunity to beat me. I think it?s a good match, I honestly do.
I think it?s a well deserved match, I think that Jessie has earned it and he?s familiar with 147lbs, he fought most of his career at 147. I know his game and he?s hungry and he wants to win that belt.
Jenna J: Tim how much will it mean to become a world champion again?
Timothy Bradley: That?s what it?s about. I lost my title a year ago to Manny Pacquiao and that?s basically what I have been going after ever since. I want to win that belt, it?s very important to me, it will be my fifth world championship.
I know I?m on the course for the Hall of Fame, that has been the theme of this whole training camp and having that belt added fuel to me, to hold on to it and to train hard and work hard to be champ, that?s what I wanted. It?s very important to me, I ain?t going to stop until I get it.
Jenna J: You are coming off of a draw to Diego Chaves. Most people felt you should have won, what has it been like dealing with that whole situation?
Timothy Bradley: I learned years ago that you can?t control what other people do, the only thing you can control is what you actually have control over. I learned to just let those things go, and let it be. There ain?t much I can do about it, I can?t cry about.
I just have to go on and somehow get better in order to keep it out of the judges hands, I got to start getting these guys up and out of there. That?s the way I feel, so I have been working hard just trying to increase my punching power and my stamina, so I have a better chance of knocking these guys out.
Jenna J: I?d like to get you thoughts on the boxing landscape a little bit. Mayweather vs. Pacquiao finally happened, what where you thoughts on it?
Timothy Bradley: From a boxing stand point, Mayweather did exactly what he was supposed to do to win the fight, trying to keep Pacquiao off balance, keep him from punching in and making him miss, making him pay. He was able to win the fight. That?s what he did, he controlled the distance, he didn?t allow Pacquiao to get close to him and he made him pay every time Manny made a mistake.
I felt it was an excellent performance by Mayweather. I know a lot of people did not feel they got their money?s worth, for whatever reason because there was not a whole lot of action, but that just shows you how superior Mayweather is, and how gifted he is as far as his boxing ability, how smart he is and how smart he is as a businessman.
You got to tip your hat off to Mayweather and the whole money team, they had a plan, and they executed it, and they did very well. Over 200 million dollars is a lot of money.
Jenna J: Manny Pacquiao had an injury in the fight, and had to fight through that. This is something you know a lot about. Do you think that injury affected his ability to do better in that fight?
Timothy Bradley: Of course, injuries happen. They can happen in the course of a fight, they can happen in training camp. But you make that decision going into the biggest fight of your career, to fight a fight when you are not 110%, that?s your fault. You can?t blame anybody else, that?s your fault.
If Manny was hurt going into the fight, that?s his fault. He could have postponed it, he could have fought on another date, but obviously he made that decision, and his team made that decision with him. So you got to deal with the result, that?s another loss on your resume.
It does affect you, I have been injured in both of my Manny Pacquiao fights, I felt I would have done a lot better if I was not injured, but that was not the case. I am not making any excuses, Manny Pacquiao is a great, great fighter, one of the best in this generation no doubt. I felt I could have done better, but that was just not the case.
