Timothy Bradley had big plans as his successful amateur career was winding down. He would sign with a big-time promoter, get a huge signing bonus and then win multiple world titles and become a star.
It didn?t happen. No notable promoter came calling, which meant no significant signing bonus. Bradley would have to take a different path. The native of Palm Springs, Calif., signed with regional promoter Thompson Boxing, which meant he would have to develop on small local shows for relatively small purses.
And that signing bonus? $5000. No, not the stuff of dreams.
But guess what: Bradley, only 27, is approaching the destination he imagined for himself ?- stardom -? in spite of his early disappointment. He has won two world titles, many consider him one of the best fighters in the world, and he is a day away from his biggest fight.
THE RING?s No. 1-rated junior welterweight faces No. 3 Devon Alexander on Saturday in Pontiac, Mich., on HBO, the year?s first big event.
?I never think about the past, never dwell on anything,? Bradley told RingTV.com. ?? I think taking the path I took made me into what I am today. And I?m happy with who I am.?
Bradley (26-0, 11 knockouts) still doesn?t know why he didn?t catch the eye of a major promoter out of the amateurs. Maybe it was the fact he never won a major national or international title and never made an Olympic team. And he was short for his weight class, 5-foot-6 (168cm).
All he knew was that he?d have to hunt for someone to represent him, not the other way around. He ended up with Thompson Boxing by chance. He was at a Palm Springs hotel for a party one night when he and his father ran into someone with the company, who was there for a golf tournament.
Talk turned to boxing, father and son said they were in the market for a promoter and the next thing they knew a deal was reached. And soon, after turning pro in 2004, he was cutting his professional teeth before a few thousand passionate fans on small shows in Southern California, mostly in a ballroom at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario.
?My pitch to him was, ?I can build you,? I can make you into a world champion,?? said Alex Camponova, longtime matchmaker and general manager for Thompson Boxing. ?And I told him I?d keep him busy. I think he fought seven, eight times one year.
?He was constantly out there learning his craft. Tim trained like a maniac from the beginning. He never stopped.?
Bradley was hungry in more ways than one. The modest arrangement with Thompson made him hunger for the big time, which helped motivate him. And he had to work full-time as a waiter even after turning pro to pay for the basic necessities of life.
He would be on his feet for eight hours five days a week at the restaurant and then go to the gym and train with career-long mentor Joel Diaz. He remembers some long, hard days.
?You can imagine how hard it was to maintain a diet around food all day long,? he said.
Still, looking back, Bradley said he wouldn?t change anything.
For the record, his parents obviously did a good job raising him in a not-so-desirable section of his desert community. Those who know him describe him as one of the most-decent guys in the business. He?s down to earth and very friendly.
The path he took to the top re-enforced lessons he learned in the home, though, particularly as it applied to hard work. He had to scratch and claw for everything he has received in boxing, which he said might not have been the case had he received a seven-figure bonus and been coddled.
?I see kids nowadays who are getting big money up front,? he said. ?I think some of them think they?ve already made it and stop working hard. They got money, nice cars, this and that, and a lot of attention. They forget what they got the money for. They get sidetracked.
?I fought every month, stayed busy, fighting for little money. I barely made enough to eat and make car payments. The ambition was always there, though. I think it was a blessing in disguise. It made me a better person. I appreciate what I have.?
Bradley has experienced a few setbacks, the biggest being a 140-pound title eliminator against Jose Luis Castillo in 2007 that was canceled when Castillo failed to make weight by four pounds. Bradley, primed for the fight, said he was devastated.
Even his worst disappointment led directly to his greatest triumph, though. He was allowed to move directly into a title fight with WBC beltholder Junior Witter the following year. One catch: He had to go to Witter?s native England, which conventional wisdom said would make his task more difficult.
Bradley wasn?t worried. All the work, all the seasoning paid off: He was ready.
?I never even thought of that at the time,? said Bradley, referring to the difficulty of winning a decision overseas. ?I guess I was a fool. I just thought, ?This is my opportunity.? I went over there to win. I remember in my dressing room everyone?s head was down, everyone was quiet. I guess they were nervous.
?I said, ?What?s wrong? What?s wrong? We?re going to win, we?re going to beat him.? And everyone started clapping and getting pumped up.?
And he did. Bradley started slowly, put Witter down with his trademark overhand right and dominated the rest of the fight to pull out a split-decision victory and win his first major title.
?It was amazing, like a miracle,? said Bradley, still excited three years later.
Bradley finally signed with that big-time promoter in 2006, Gary Shaw. That led to considerable television exposure, the title shot against Witter and some big fights since. That includes victories over Kendall Holt and Lamont Peterson, as well as the big fight on Saturday.
Ironically, though, he hasn?t been 100 percent satisfied with his career the past few years. He longs for that big-money megafight against the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Manny Pacquiao, just as every elite fighter around 140 or 147 does. And, just as important, he craves more recognition for what he has achieved.
All he can do is continue to work hard, continue to win and wait.
?The best pound-for-pound fighters in the world won?t step up and face me,? he said, his way of calling them out. ?It bothers me. It?s just like, ?Man, wait your turn.? I?ll get my opportunity eventually. I?m knocking at the door now.
?I think Saturday will be a good start. People will know who Timothy Bradley is after this victory. And hopefully that?ll open up other avenues.?
It always has.
