Timothy Bradley gets rematch with Manny Pacquiao
WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley and Manny Pacquiao agreed to an April 12 bout.
WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley verbally agreed to a rematch with Manny Pacquiao on April 12 with a chance to right a wrong.
Bradley will face the Filipino star at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for the WBO title he won when he got a split decision over Pacquiao in 2012.
'It feels great to get this rematch,' Bradley said in an exclusive interview with The Desert Sun. 'I'm happy to have this opportunity to get rid of this dark cloud that has been looming over me since 2012.'
In June 2012, Bradley won a split decision over Pacquiao that a large majority of media and fans felt Pacquiao had dominated.
Top Rank's Bob Arum urged the Nevada State Attorney General's office to look into the fight, and they found no evidence of a fix. The WBO had five judges watch the tape to re-judge the fight. All five judges had Bradley winning the fight, but the WBO couldn't reverse the decision.
Since that fight, Bradley (31-0, 12 KOs) had been harshly criticized. But it didn't stop Bradley from having a very impressive 2013. In March, Bradley beat Ruslan Provodnikov in a fight that most publications tabbed the Fight of the Year. Bradley followed up his show-stopping performance by winning a split decision over Pacquiao's biggest rival, Juan Manuel Marquez, in October. Marquez was coming off a knockout victory over Pacquiao.
Despite the criticism, Bradley said he believed he won the fight over Pacquiao, and welcomes the chance to clear the controversy so he can 'basically shut up the naysayers and everyone who felt I can't win or won't win this fight and that I didn't win the last fight.'
Contrary to media reports, Bradley said he has not signed the contract yet, but the fight has been verbally agreed to on his end. Because it hasn't been signed, Bradley wouldn't confirm contract numbers.
Top Rank president Todd DuBoef said contracts are being drafted, but confirmed terms have been agreed upon.
'I think it's going to do terrific,' DuBoef said. 'Timmy really had an incredible year with the Provodnikov and Marquez victories, and Manny had a terrific performance in the Rios fight. I think there's a lot of demand for it.
Timothy Bradley Jr. and Manny Pacquiao during their bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on June 9, 2012. Bradley won the fight amid controversy.(Photo: Omar Ornelas, USA TODAY Sports)
'It's a personal thing with Manny. He wants to get rid of what he considers an unneeded blemish on his record. And I think Timmy wants to say, 'Hey, it was no unneeded blemish. It was real and I'm going to prove it's real.' You have two guys who want to fight each other, and that's not always the case.
But Bradley did indicate he would sign the contract soon and the media tour starting Feb. 4 to promote the fight likely will go on as scheduled.
Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs) and Bradley will also get a cut of pay-per-view revenue. Their first fight had approximately 900,000 buys.
In the first fight, Pacquiao earned a reported $26 million and Bradley $5 million.
For Bradley, this fight had nothing to do with money. Pacquiao was named the fighter of the last decade, and Bradley snapped a 15-fight win streak by Pacquiao that spanned seven years. During that span, Pacquiao won titles in four more weight divisions and beat top names like Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Erik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, Antonio Margarito and Ricky Hatton to skyrocket to international fame.
Because of the controversy surrounding Bradley's victory, he felt he never got the respect he deserved, despite being undefeated and winning world titles in two weight classes.
'This fight is to get the credit I didn't get the first time,' Bradley said. 'In this fight, I have to beat him as convincingly as I beat Marquez.'
When Bradley first fought Pacquiao, it was his first time on an international stage on a marquee pay-per-view audience. And it was the first time Bradley had fought anyone considered a future Hall of Famer.
'Now I'm not the little dog on the block. I'm a top dog,' Bradley said. 'I'm a lot more mature as a fighter, as a man. I'm a little older, Pacquiao is a little older, so it's different. I've had some great wins in those two years and I feel I'm more than ready.
'It's almost like I spar someone the first time. OK, you get a few shots. The second time, it's much easier, because I know what to expect. Pacquiao can say the same thing about me. But Pacquiao only fights one-way guys. Only one way, and that's the Pacquiao way.'
After the loss, Pacquiao had another big setback to his career when he was knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez in their fourth fight in December 2012. Pacquiao came back in November, where he won a unanimous decision over Brandon Rios in China.
And with Bradley's two impressive victories in 2013, it adds more luster to the rematch.
'We couldn't have asked for better timing,' DuBoef said. 'I think Tim re-established his position with how good he is and his abilities with his performances. I think it will work to everyone's benefit.'
Because Bradley won, Bradley said he expects Pacquiao to be even more aggressive this fight. In the first fight, Bradley said he thought Pacquiao was more defensive.
'I think Manny Pacquiao will get aggressive until he gets hit,' Bradley said. 'People are going to laugh about this, and it's OK, they can laugh. But like I said, if I was a non-puncher, if I didn't have anything, guys would walk completely straight through me. Guys who don't have any power, I walk them down, I go straight to them. I eat 'em up. I eat 'em alive. If I didn't have any power, or anything to keep guys honest, like Marquez, like Provodnikov and all these other guys, they wouldn't worry. They would just come through.'
Bradley said his power helped him against Pacquiao in the first fight. In the second round of the fight, Bradley strained ligaments in his foot. In the fourth round, he sprained his other foot.
'This fight, he'll get more aggressive, but it will open things up. I'm ready for whatever Pacquiao brings,' Bradley said. 'I'm ready basically to win and get the credit I deserve that I didn't get in the last fight.'
Leighton Ginn also writes for The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, Calif.)
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