What?s at stake when Tim Bradley takes on Devon Alexander on Saturday night at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan is crystal clear.
“We?re going to see who the best 140-pounder in the world is,” said Tim Bradley, the reigning WBO titlist, on his faceoff with Alexander, who has the WBC strap in his possession. “I?m excited about this fight. I think it?s going to be a great, exciting fight. It?s a great match-up of styles and I just can?t wait to get it on. It?s been a long time coming, been building this fight for a year or so now. And now it?s time to put up or shut up.”
There was a time when Bradley held the WBC belt (by defeating Junior Witter in 2008) but he eventually vacated that title to pursue other opportunities while Alexander held the top spot in that sanctioning body?s ratings. It was at that juncture that Alexander and his trainer/manager Kevin Cunningham started making noise about Bradley avoiding them. By nature, Bradley isn?t one that really engages in much trash talk. Most of the time, he?s about as mild-mannered as a black Clark Kent but for the better part of a year-plus, he heard the noise out of St. Louis.
What he heard was disrespect.
“Absolutely,” Bradley told Maxboxing. “They called me a coward; all the boxing fans were starting to lose respect for me because I wouldn?t fight this guy. But I knew what I was doing, man, and I just felt that I was being disrespected. They felt they were number one; I wouldn?t fight them; I was scared and whatever. I was like, ?Man, you gotta be kidding me, dude.? And like I said, I wanted to execute my plan and make it worth my while.”
Eventually, a deal was struck late in 2010. But there?s a prevailing thought that perhaps this fight was rushed and those who represent Bradley don?t necessarily disagree with that notion.
“We all talked about it; the fight was being rushed and I wanted to wait and Timmy wanted to wait,” said his manager, Cameron Dunkin, last week. “We made that clear that we thought it would be better to do this fight a few fights down the road and build these guys a little bit more and make it a really big fight. But for some reason, they wanted to go now- and it?s not selling real well, as you can tell. Hopefully, a lot of people will watch it on HBO and the boxing community will really embrace it.”
Dunkin admits that even with a victory, Bradley?s market value might be damaged if ticket sales are as tepid as reported.
“Well, I mean, it?s funny; when we were discussing this fight, I got a nasty email from our promoter [Gary Shaw], when Tim was thinking about whether to take the fight or not. And he was just thinking about it; he wasn?t saying ?no? or anything. He wanted a few days to think and I got a nasty email saying, ?Here?s your guy who doesn?t sell 2,000 tickets and he?s turning down a million dollars.? So yeah, look, the promoters look at it that way; everyone looks at it that way. How many butts can you put in the seats? And coming off this, neither one of these guys are going to be able to say very much.
“[Alexander] can say, ?Hey, if it would?ve been in St. Louis, I would?ve done this,? and Timmy?s going to say, ?If it was in Southern California, I would?ve done more,? which is true,? added Dunkin. ?But it sure doesn?t look good.”
In an era when everything is so dependent on the premium cable networks having available slots and where fighters at Bradley?s and Alexander?s levels basically fight twice a year, perhaps there was no other choice but to make this fight immediately. But Shaw insists, “We weren?t boxed in, having to do with the schedule or dates. HBO felt that this was the best fight other than Pacquiao-Mayweather that they could deliver to the fans. Two undefeated U.S.-born fighters and they wanted the fight and therefore, it got made.”
As for any tension between the factions that represent Bradley in regard to the timing of this clash, the veteran promoter states, “Truthfully, I didn?t have to convince them. I know there are some press articles where Bradley said that it was a little too early for this fight to happen or percolate but since this fight?s been made, he?s been nothing but going full speed ahead and he?s happy now that?s it?s been made.”
Boxing in exotic settings isn?t foreign to Bradley as he has been a bit of a globetrotter since hitting the world-class scene. After spending his early days exclusively under the Thompson Boxing Promotions banner in California, he won his first world title against Witter in Nottingham, England and then won the WBO belt in Montreal, Canada versus Kendall Holt. But did he ever think he?d be in another unification tilt in, of all places, Pontiac? “Absolutely, not,” said Bradley, laughing. “I thought it would be a Vegas fight or something.”
No matter what the attendance will be this weekend, there?s only one guy that Bradley is concerned about showing up- Alexander.
“Yeah, that?s pretty much it. Ticket sales is all about promotions. I know I can fight; I know Devon can fight. I know it?s going to be a great fight and the people that don?t show up, they?re going to miss it. They?re going to miss a helluva fight.”
Regardless, this is a significant fight on the boxing landscape.
Dunkin says, “It?s a huge fight for both of these guys. I think the winner of this fight definitely puts himself in a position to be talked about with a Mayweather fight and a Pacquiao fight and an Amir Khan fight. Of course, Khan is a bit of a lesser fight but it puts him in one of the elite, top ten statuses. It?s a tremendous opportunity for both guys.” Shaw believes that this will be just the beginning of a series of important fights within the division. “Yes, 100-percent. I believe the winner of this fight will get a huge fight and the loser will still get a big fight, either with [Marcos] Maidana or [Victor] Ortiz. I absolutely believe that.”
Beyond consolidating two of the titles at junior welterweight, this serves as an elimination bout of sorts for both combatants who will attempt to further build their r?sum?s on Saturday night, stating their cases to enter the ring with the biggest names in the sport.
“Right, that?s the ultimate goal here,” said Bradley, who comes into this bout with a mark of 26-0 with 11 stoppages. “I figure if I can solidify and get all the titles at 140, I feel that there?s no way I can be denied a Manny Pacquiao or Floyd fight. So that?s just what I think. But everybody wants to see who the best 140-pounder is. There?s a lot of good ones out there, so everybody wants to see who?s the best.”
There is talk that the winner of this fight (even though HBO has a rematch option in place) might get a crack at Khan, who is scheduled to fight in Manchester, England on April 16th. Dunkin states, “I think that?s a fight that?s doable. We?re still only going to have a few fights for these guys when this fight?s over. Maybe they fight each other again; if it?s a great fight, then you do a rematch. But there?s only so many fights out there and not very many names, honestly.”
Bradley has no qualms about facing the wrath of Khan next.
“Oh, absolutely, let?s see who the best 140 [pounder] is. Let?s match the number one guys up. I win this fight; let?s go after Amir Khan.”
But first things first, he still has to get past Alexander, a well-schooled, technically sound southpaw, who, like himself, is undefeated throughout his professional career. Many observers believed he was topped by Andreas Kotelnik in his last outing in August. Bradley is one of them.
“My thoughts on the fight, it?s pretty much what I always felt about Devon- that he?s very easy to hit. I mean, I think he?s a great fighter but I feel I can beat him. I was just waiting for the right opportunity, the right time to get it on and make it worth my while. I think I did a good job of doing that and holding out because now, I?m getting my biggest payday of my career.”
Bradley never faced Alexander as an amateur but he says, “We used to fight in the same tournaments and stuff, so I used to see him all the time- him and his brother [Vaughn]. So I used to see him all the time growing up in the amateurs. I know Kevin Cunningham real well; I used to see him all the time. So we?re fairly familiar with one another and we know where we come from. Both of us, we know exactly where we come from- hard work and dedication.”
On paper, this is certainly a premiere match-up. What?s not clear is just what will transpire in the ring. Will it be a tactical bout or one filled with action?
?The Desert Storm? says, “A little bit of both. I think it?s going to start off real tactical then it?ll get interesting because then we?ll have to change strategy in there. We?ll start figuring out each other and we?ll have to dig down deep in there.”
KHAN DO?
As I?m writing this (on Wednesday afternoon), it looks like Paul McCloskey is back in line to face Amir Khan next. From what I?m told, the money offered to McCloskey was upped and it looks like a deal will be reached (perhaps by the time you read this). But it?s clear that this is one of those instances where it wasn?t necessarily the best or most appealing fight that was made but one where the best economical deal was reached for the marquee attraction. Originally, it was Lamont Peterson who was slated to face Khan on this date but he balked at what was being offered to him.
I had a chance to talk to Barry Hunter, who trains and manages Peterson. He confirmed that they had indeed turned down a $200,000 package to face Khan. Now, like many others, I wondered where else could they make that kind of money. Hunter explained that from their perspective, if Marcos Maidana (who took Khan to the brink on December 11th) made around $500,000 to face Khan in an empty Mandalay Bay, they should be entitled to something in that same neighborhood, given that they are traveling to his home turf to face him in what will be a much larger audience in the UK.
Of course, one industry insider pointed out to me that Maidana was coming off wins against Ortiz and Victor Cayo on HBO and was worth more than Peterson, while McCloskey brings more domestically to a fight that will take place in the U.K.
I can see both sides of the coin here.
APRIL 9TH
As of Monday, it looked as though Juan Manuel Marquez would be bypassing on the April 9th pay-per-view show after passing on the likes of Erik Morales, Andre Berto, Amir Khan and Robert Guerrero. Regardless, that show would proceed. Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions told Maxboxing on Monday afternoon, “It might be a totally different make-up of the card.”
Well, by Wednesday, it seemed as though an agreement with ?El Terrible? would be consummated with just several details to be ironed out. Yeah, it?s a fight that?s about half a decade late (as opposed to Golden Boy?s pay-per-view show last year featuring the rematch between Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones, which was well over a full decade in being tardy) but the reality is, pay-per-view shows are driven by recognizable names who resonate with the public. For as good a fight as, say, Robert Guerrero-Michael Katsidis is, Golden Boy would?ve been hard-pressed to sell a show with that as the headliner. However, as the main support bout, it?s a much better fit.
PONTIAC
So what?s it like right now in Pontiac?
“Well, that?s an interesting question,” said Shaw, on Wednesday afternoon. “It?s like being in New York City- it?s the same type of weather; it?s a little on the chilly side but, nonetheless, it?s nice. It?s not snowing; it?s not raining; it?s just brisk. And those of us that live in the Northeast are used to this. So it?s just a normal day for me. But for sure, it?s warmer than New York City and a lot less snow.”
What?s interesting is that while not many out-of-town fans will come in for Bradley-Alexander, the media list that is attending the fight is surprisingly strong.
“I have always believed this fight is THE fight and it?s a real fight. It?s gotten pay-per-view coverage,” said Shaw, proudly. “The media list is very, very impressive. We?re going to have a big media dinner tomorrow night. The only ones missing are George Willis and Tim Smith, who are covering the Super Bowl. Short of that, we got everybody here.”
FINAL FLURRIES
The real shame of Marquez-Morales isn?t only that it?s about five years too late in happening but that during their primes, they were both under the Top Rank banner and this fight never, ever came close to fruition…I was told that Jason Litzau turned down a shot to face Jorge Linares in the spring. Linares, who just recently got back to Japan, will make his return sometime around April or May…On Feb. 12th, Universum has a big show taking place in Germany that not only has an Arthur Abraham tune-up bout (against Stjepan Bozic) but a pair of cruiserweight title fights, with IBF champion Steve Cunningham defending against Enad Licina and Steve Herelius and Yoan Pablo Hernandez battling it out for the WBC crown…So did everyone overreact in regard to Bears quarterback Jay Cutler? [Editor?s note: Being from the Chicago area, I?ve heard more than my fair share, Steve. Oh, yeah, it?s getting old]…Great to see HBO?s ?Real Sports? back for another season. This is always a quality show…OK, if I visit ?8 Mile,? while in Motown, will I be safe?…I can be reached at [email protected] and I tweet at www.twitter.com/stevemaxboxing. We also have a Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/MaxBoxing.
