Bradley’s Trainer: Tim Must Take Risks To Beat Pacquiao

Monday, April 23, 2012

From the moment he officially signed on to face Manny Pacquiao, there has been an unwavering sense of confidence coming from the camp of Timothy Bradley. An unbeaten titleholder in the junior welterweight class, Bradley will be moving up in weight to challenge Pacquiao for his WBO welterweight crown inside of the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 9th.

Bold proclamations and heavy bravado are familiar traits of underdogs in boxing but there are times when you can sense a genuine beleif coming from a fighter and his team. Such is the case with Bradley’s head trainer Joel Diaz, a man who has been guiding Tim’s career since his professional debut against Francisco Martinez in August of 2004 in Corona, California.

While other trainers may either be more outspoken or have collected more accolades than Diaz, who was a former title challenger and came from a fighting family, he seems content on staying away from the spotlight and focusing on honing Bradley’s skills as the Pacquiao clash inches closer.

I caught up with Diaz recently and got some updates on Bradley’s camp in Palm Springs, California.

Whether discussing how Bradley is looking thus far in camp, admitting that it will be quite the chore trying to find future sparring partners, or revealing a little bit of his blueprint as far as how to fight Pacquiao, Diaz spoke with a candid tone that couldn’t fully mask the eagerness he too carries.

In his own words, this is what Diaz had to share…

Positive vibes…
“Everything’s going real good. We’re ahead of schedule and everything is moving along real, real well. It’s just all positive vibes. Everything around the camp, everything is positive. And a lot of hype. Everybody around the team is very excited, because we see the improvement in Tim. His hand speed, we see everything that he’s been doing. Of course, it’s a good feeling and we feel we’re going to be victorious on June 9th.”

Maintaining Bradley’s progress in camp…
“I have to keep my schedule of workouts and maintain it, as well as the rest of the team. They have to do their job as far as keeping in touch with how he’s doing and what he’s doing. He’s been training already for a month and a half, but for three days a week. This week we started camp officially, every day, since Monday. [Wednesday] was his second day of sparring and he looked really, really good. As a matter of fact, for being the second day, he looked spectacular. That was something that that got everybody got excited. As soon as he finished his sparring, that’s all he did, because the day before he put in his gym work and then he did his conditioning. To me, it was basically focusing on sparring. He wanted more, but I had to cut the work.”

Keeping Bradley moving…
“But he’s complying pretty good and he’s not saying ‘No’ to what we decide, especially when I tell him, we’re still quite a ways ahead. I don’t want him to be burned out. Because he started his conditioning training, his running, and all that stuff he started a month ago. When it comes to coming down to the gym and I was like ‘No, no, no. We’re just going to come to the gym three days a week for now’. We have to watch his training and that’s my job. He looked good in sparring and tomorrow we’ll focus more on what happened today. On Saturday, it depends how he’s feeling. I might have him move in the ring with a southpaw, somebody who can keep him busy, keep him moving.”

The sparring partners in camp…
“These kids we’re sparring now, they’re good fighters but I don’t think they’re going to last. We got a couple of them already, they came down and sparred. Real good fighters, real strong kids, but after today, they can probably finish the week and then I got to send them back and get some other sparring partners. Because he’s dialed them in right away and all they do is they just become another opponent. And I don’t want nobody to get hurt. Right now, with Timothy’s hand speed, his movement, and his strength is becoming a big factor. I’m looking for another two or three sparring partners for the following week.”

The difficulty in recruiting future sparring mates…
“Let me tell you one thing; watching Manny Pacquiao, you cannot find sparring similar as Manny. That is very hard. What I am focusing on is just having some young, fresh fighters. I’m not looking for veteran fighters, old fighters. Because old fighters have a slow pace, they’re more experienced type of fighters. I want fighters that are aggressive, fast, and they’re constantly throwing punches. That’s the reason why I have two, three, even four sparring partners in line, because I’m switching them every two rounds. I’m switching them, I’m starting guys fresh, from the beginning. I don’t want to have a kid go four, five rounds by himself, because Tim, after the second round, he will start breaking him. So after the third round, they’re just taking a beating. My strategy right now is to have four fighters on standby and keep throwing them in there after every two rounds.”

Not concerned about Bradley’s weight…
“As far as his weight, that’s not even an issue. He’s walking around right now at 155 [pounds]. He says ‘You know what coach? By the end of May, I want to be at 148. I want to be slim and fast and strong’. I told him ‘You don’t have to. I need you to be at 150, 152’. And he says ‘Coach, for that fight I’m going to come in at 145, 146’ and I asked ‘What for? I want you at 147’. He goes ‘Because I want to be solid muscle. Fast, solid muscle’. With his diet and the way he runs, he’s always looking really, really good. The way he’s working out, he’s generated a lot of hand speed. He’s faster, he’s stronger, his movement, everything. We’re putting everything together. We’re putting the whole package together.”

Why you have to take risks against Manny Pacquiao…
“Look, me as a trainer, my plan goes in different stages. Early, middle, and end. And that’s the way it’s going to be. At the same time, it’s not going to be a game of chess. It could be, early in the rounds, early in the fight. Because we have to study the fighter, we can’t just get in there reckless. But it’s going to be a very exciting fight, because Tim wants to win it. I want to win. If you want to win against Manny Pacquiao, you’ve got to take risks. You’ve got to take risks, but smart risks. You can’t just get reckless. At the same time, you can’t just let Manny unload all the time. You have to take risks no matter what. Early in the fight, due to the fact that you have to study your opponent, of course it’s going to be a game of chess early in the fight. But after that, by the middle of the fight, I think it’s going to be a fight.”

By Chris Robinson

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=52030

Tim Bradley recently visited with us on The Boxing Lab, BoxingScene.com’s official audio show. The undefeated WBO junior welterweight champion said that part of the reason why he is an underdog is because a lot of the general public doesn’t really know much about him. He went on to say that he is a very confident fighter and the fans will see that when he sets foot in the ring.

“The confidence is there. I know how hard I work. The fact is that no one knows me. No one really understands what I bring. All I hear is I’m a high pressure volume puncher and I’m like wow,” said a bemused Bradley.

The Palm Springs, CA native said that he keeps reading that he will go out similarily to the way former lineal junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton went out against Pacquiao. Hatton was iced in the 2nd round of their May 2009 fight.

“They say it will be like the Ricky Hatton fight. That (style) is what I have been showing in maybe my last 3 fights because my opponents couldn’t handle it but I can adjust in the ring. I laugh when I hear it,” stated Bradley. “If they think that’s all I am they are in for a surprise. Go back and look at the Lamont Peterson fight,” he continued as he referred to when he outboxed Peterson and gave him his only loss to date.

Bradley said that he has the ability to adjust to whatever his opponent does in the ring. He also said that people don’t realize how high his ring IQ is until they see him spar.

“I can adjust to pretty much any style. I’ve faced so many different styles. A lot of people come to my camp and expect one thing and are like ‘dude you are smart’ when they see what I do. I don’t get credit for my smarts. You have to see me spar to see that,” he explained.

You can hear the Tim Bradley interview in its entirety by clicking this link: http://tobtr.com/s/2997117

By Ryan Burton

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=51943

Philippine boxing icon Manny Pacquiao began training yesterday for his June world title defence against US challenger Timothy Bradley, saying he has God in his corner.

Reciting biblical passages as he shadow-boxed in a park, Pacquiao said finding God earlier this year had not deprived him of the devastating speed and power that earned him eight world titles in as many divisions.

“Nothing has changed. I am still fully focused on training, although now I am happier because I have God,” he told reporters in the northern mountain resort of Baguio, where he undergoes altitude training ahead of all his fights.

Regarded by many in the sport as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter, Pacquiao, 54-3 with two draws, stakes his World Boxing Organization welterweight crown against the undefeated Bradley in Las Vegas on June 9.

Some feared the 33-year-old’s conversion would extinguish his killer instinct in the ring and bring his glittering career to an abrupt halt.

The left-hander, who has translated his sports fame into huge riches, a movie career and election to parliament, announced in January that he had become a changed man after a religious vision.

Formerly a heavy gambler fond of late-night parties, Pacquiao said he had been chosen by God to use his fame to spread the Christian message.

He told a Manila radio station last month that God had told him in a dream to retire soon, but did not say when.

His American coach Freddie Roach has brought up to Baguio a team of sparring partners headlined by Briton Amir Khan, one of the world’s highest-ranked light-welterweights, Pacquiao aide Buboy Fernandez said.

“Bradley has his own moves. He’s good at head movement and we have to pay attention to that. He can also bend the rules to his advantage,” Fernandez said.

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=51924

|Manny Pacquiao|Timothy Bradley|WBO|Welterweight

Pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao demonstrated incredible hand speed and amazing power Tuesday during a workout at his MP Towers Gym which sits on the old L&M Gym site where he trained as a young aspiring boxer in the mid 90’s.

Pacquiao ripped into the punch-mitts and drove longtime friend and Filipino trainer Buboy Fernandez to claim that in all the years he has worked out with Pacquiao he has never felt such power.

Fernandez said he was surprised that after one week’s training in General Santos City he saw a “huge difference between the Manny Pacquiao of his previous fights and a very different Pacquiao today. He is like the hungry teenaged fighter who first came to Manila. He’s hungry again. It’s the old Manny.”

He explained that this is because of a dramatic change in Pacquiao’s lifestyle with “no late nights and no problems to think about. His only mission is to study the Bible. When you see that he is known the world over and is a congressman and you see him in front of you explaining the scriptures no matter who you are, your hair will stand on end.”

While recalling the many who criticized Pacquiao’s performance in his more recent fights with Shane Mosley and his controversial decision over Juan Manuel Marquez in their third fight, I will tell you now after what I witnessed this afternoon I am sure he will drop Bradley. I feel there is someone guiding him.”

Fernandez remarked that Pacquiao was once again a hungry fighter and with his current condition he is confident that undefeated light welterweight champion Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley will be staring at a knockout.

He said “I am big but if he connects with one shot it will be an early night for me, which will be the same for Bradley.”

Fernandez added that “when Manny gets to Baguio, Freddie Roach will be stunned to see what shape Pacquiao is in.”

Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz said they are not underestimating Bradley because “he’s a young fighter with an opportunity to prove himself to the world. Manny was the same way many years ago. I’m sure Bradley will come prepared in the best shape he cam be in and will give it all he has that’s why I believe its going to be a very exciting fight with a lot of punches thrown .”

However Koncz said he is confident that Pacquiao “is going to prevail. I’m sure how long the fight will last but it will be a very good fight. Manny knows that because of his showing in the last fight he needs to add an exclamation mark to this fight so I think he’s going to go out there and try to end it early and the fans will win again.”

Unknown to many, Pacquiao has been training in General Santos City to get into shape when his Baguio City training camp opens tomorrow with trainer Freddie Roach and strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza who have been in Baguio since over a week ago training former WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan for his rematch with Lamont Peterson, the fighter who took the title away from Khan in a controversial decision.

by Ronnie Nathanielsz

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=51876

Manny Pacquiao will begin training in Baguio City on April 16 for his WBO welterweight title defense against Timothy Bradley scheduled for the MGM Grand Garden Arena on June 9.

Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard that he had been instructed to represent Manny at the red carpet, black tie launch of Manny’s new Hennesy Brandy commercial in New York on Thursday.

Pacquiao shot the commercial some weeks ago in Manila and the sponsors were very pleased with the end product.

Strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza who arrived last week together with former WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan was followed on Wednesday by trainer Freddie Roach.

Ariza told BoxingScene/Standard he didn’t think “its too late to begin straining on April 16” but that he that he wants to talk to Pacquiao about “a training game-plan.”

The strength and conditioning guru who teamed up with Roach some weeks before Pacquiao’s demolition of WBC lightweight champion David Diaz in nine rounds said the fight against undefeated Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley “is going to be a war.”

He emphasized that Pacquiao “needs to prepare physically” pointing out that “its not going to be a fight of technique.”

Ariza reminded Pacquiao that Bradley “is young and strong” and is usually in great shape for his fights.

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=51490

Timothy Bradley isn’t the slightest bit intimidated as he prepares to begin the harder portions of training camp for the biggest fight of his career.

Bradley realizes how upsetting Manny Pacquiao could completely change his life, but the unbeaten junior welterweight champion will take the same aggressive approach to this training camp that this tireless worker usually takes.

“It doesn’t matter,” Bradley said. “Manny Pacquiao is the biggest name in boxing, next to Floyd Mayweather. But it’s a name. He’s a fighter. He’s a human being. He has skill; I have skill.

“I’m not like in awe when I see Manny Pacquiao. It’s another fight to me. Take away all the cameras, all the attention, the media, put us in the ring and it’s a fight. It’s a fight to me.”

Bradley expects, though, that facing an opponent as good as Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KOs) will enable him to put on a special performance in their 12-round fight June 9 in Las Vegas for Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight title.

“I know what I’m capable of doing because I have been pushed to that edge, to that limit,” Bradley said. “I know what I’m capable of doing. I know that I can compete with this guy. I think that he’s going to bring the best out of me.”

That hasn’t always happened when Bradley (28-0, 12 KOs, 1 NC) faces foes who can’t compete near the Palm Springs, Calif., native’s level, much less in the space Pacquiao occupies.

“One of the problems I always have with my trainer [Joel Diaz],” Bradley said, “is he always says, ‘Why do you fight to the level of your opposition? I know you can do more. I know you can get this guy out of here a lot sooner than that.’ I say, ‘I really don’t know why.’ But [for] Manny Pacquiao, I’m going to have to bring my ‘A’ game. It’s going to come out. It has to come out.”

By Keith Idec

Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com.

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=51138

|Manny Pacquiao|Timothy Bradley|WBO|Welterweight

Después de cuatro días de intenso trabajo ya fue anunciada el combate titular entre uno de los mejores boxeadores del mundo, el filipino Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, y el campeón mundial invicto estadounidense Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley, para el 9 de junio en el hotel MGM de Las Vegas en una función que será televisada por HBO a través del sistema de pago por evento.

Desde el lunes pasado cuando grabaron el comercial para la pelea e hicieron las fotos para la promoción ambos se han mostrado muy respetuosos el uno con el otro. El martes hicieron su primera conferencia de prensa en Los Ángeles, el miércoles estuvieron en los estudios de HBO para grabar los promocionales y hoy jueves realizara una segunda conferencia de prensa en la ciudad de Nueva York.

“Estoy muy entusiasmo con este pelea porque se que Bradley viene a pelear y eso ser bueno para darle a la gente el espectáculo que se merece”, dijo Pacquiao.

Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KOs) expondrá por cuarta ocasión la corona mundial welter de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB) ante Bradley (28-0, 12 KOs), de Palm Springs, California, quien es el actual monarca superligero de la OMB.

“Bradley es un peleador joven que tiene mucha hambre y se que tendre que entrenar muy fuerte para vencerlo. Es una pelea muy difícil y tendremos que trabajar en la estrategia perfecta para derrotar a este boxeador”, dijo Pacquiao.

Para Bradley es la oportunidad que había buscado por mucho tiempo. “Estoy increíblemente contento con esta oportunidad. Tengo tres años como campeón mundial, pero eso nunca ha sido suficiente para mi, quiero ser el mejor y esta pelea me pondrá en la cima del boxeo cuando la gane”, señaló.

“Se lo grandioso que es Pacquiao y lo que significa su figura en el mundo, pero eso me tiene sin cuidado, el tiene mucho tiempo en el trono y es tiempo que quitarlo de ahí, yo voy a ser la nueva cara del boxeo”, agregó Bradley.

“Es una pelea interesante para el mundo del boxeo y creo que Bradley es un rival de cuidado, pero también se la capacidad de mi peleador (Pacquiao) y estoy seguro que saldremos del ring con la victoria”, expresó Freddie Roch, entrenador de Pacquiao.

“Vamos a sorprender a mucha gente el próximo 9 de junio. Es es una pelea muy difícil parea los dos, pero creo que Bradley esta en su momento y dejara todo el ring par salir con la victoria”, manifestó Joel Díaz, entrenador de Bradley.

Pacquiao saldrá esta noche a las Filipinas y comenzara su preparación para la pelea a mediados de abril en su país antes de viajar al Wild Card Gym de Los Ángeles cinco semanas antes de la pelea.

Bradley, viajó a Bristol, Connecticut, para varias presentaciones promocionales y comenzara su preparación en Abril en Palm Springs, California.

FOTOS: CHRIS FARINA – TOP RANK INC.

Por Ricardo Jiménez, Top Rank Inc.

http://www.notifight.com/artman2/publish/Reporte_7/Pacquiao_y_Bradley_cierran_gira_en_NY.php

New York, N.Y. — (L-R) Superstar Manny Pacquiao and undefeated Jr. Welterweight champion Timothy “The Desert Storm” Bradley Jr. pose during a press conference in New York City Thursday during their cross-country media tour for their upcoming World Welterweight title mega-fight. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Tecate, AT&T and MGM Grand, Pacquiao vs Bradley will take place, Saturday, June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, live on HBO Pay Per View. — Photos by Chris Farina/Top Rank.

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=49904

New York, N.Y. — Undefeated Jr. Welterweight champion Timothy “The Desert Storm” Bradley Jr.(R) arrives in New York late Tuesday night with his trainer Joel Diaz(L) on the cross-country media tour to promote his upcoming World Welterweight title mega-fight against superstar Manny Pacquiao. Bradley is in town for a Thursday press conference at Chelsea Piers-Pier 61. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Tecate, AT&T and MGM Grand, Pacquiao vs Bradley will take place, Saturday, June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, live on Pay Per View. — Photos by Chris Farina/Top Rank.

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=49856

Beverly Hills, Ca. (L-R) Superstar Manny Pacquiao and undefeated Jr. Welterweight champion Timothy “The Desert Storm” Bradley Jr. pose during the first stop in Los Angeles of their cross-country media tour to announce their upcoming World Welterweight title mega-fight. Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Tecate, AT&T and MGM Grand, Pacquiao vs Bradley will take place, Saturday, June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, live on Pay Per View. Photos by Chris Farina/Top Rank and Media View.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Tecate, AT&T and MGM Grand, tickets to Pacquiao vs. Bradley go on sale This Friday! February 24 at 1:00 p.m. ET / 10:00 a.m. PT, and are priced at $1,200, $900, $600, $400, and $200. Ticket sales at $1,200, $900, $600 and $400 are limited to 10 per person and ticket sales at $200 are limited to two (2) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=49834

LAS VEGAS, NEV – Congressman MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO and TIMOTHY “Desert Storm” BRADLEY, JR. will embark on a two-city, coast-to-coast media tour, beginning in Beverly Hills, Calif., Next Tuesday! February 21, to announce and celebrate the Pacquiao vs. Bradley World Welterweight Championship. Pacquiao and Bradley, who have won 11 world titles between them, will go toe-to-toe for Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight championship on Saturday, June 9, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. The fight will be broadcast Live on Pay-Per-View. Joining Pacquiao and Bradley on the tour will be their respective trainers, Freddie Roach and Joel Diaz, and Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with MP Promotions, Tecate, AT&T and MGM Grand, tickets to Pacquiao vs. Bradley will go on sale Next Friday! February 24 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT, and will be priced at $1,200, $900, $600, $400, and $200. Ticket sales at $1,200, $900, $600 and $400 are limited to 10 per person and ticket sales at $200 are limited to two (2) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com .

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23 – Open to the Public!

Chelsea Piers at Pier 60 – THE LIGHTHOUSE

23rd Street and the Hudson River

New York, NY 10011

Noon ET – News Conference

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=49638

POUND-FOR-POUND king Manny Pacquiao plans to begin training in mid-April for his June 9 World Boxing Organization welterweight title defense against Timothy Bradley at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz said the schedule will be the usual one, with his training camp beginning in Baguio City, where he is expected to spend some four weeks, after which he will leave for Los Angeles to train at Freddie Roach’s Wild Card Gym for another three weeks.

Koncz said Pacquiao spent Valentine’s Day with wife Jinkee and their four kids on a remote island off Sarangani province, where there wasn’t even a cell phone contact with the outside world.

Pacquiao is not taking the undefeated Bradley lightly and is expected to put on an impressive performance, following his comparatively lackluster showing in his third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez.

Bradley told Rick Reeno of boxingscene.com that this is perhaps the best time to face Pacquiao and that being much younger than the 38-year-old Marquez, he has a good chance of beating Pacquiao.

Bradley said besides being very young, he is also determined.

“I can box as well as brawl and I can counter-punch as well,” said Bradley. “I’m quick and can get in and out from danger and I have great defense.”

The light welterweight champion, who should have no problems moving up to 147, where he has fought before, added: “I feel like I’m a major step for Pacquiao. I think it’s a winnable fight for me.”

Koncz told BoxingScene/Manila Standard that Pacquiao will leave for the US within the next couple of days to give his deposition in the case he filed against Floyd Mayweather Jr., his father Floyd Sr. and uncle and trainer Roger Mayweather over allegations that he used performance-enhancing drugs.

by Ronnie Nathanielsz

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=49606

The next opponent for Manny Pacquiao looks to be set, as WBO junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley finds himself with his biggest opportunity to date as a professional.

The two men actually shared a ring this past November at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas when Pacquiao edged out Juan Manuel Marquez over twelve spirited rounds while Bradley scored a lopsided and uneventful 8th round TKO over faded champion Joel Casamayor in the evening’s chief support bout.

The fight is set to go down June 9th at the same venue but it’s worth noting that while Bradley has signed on for the contest, Pacquiao has yet to his ink his contract to make the fight official.

Giving his take on that little piece of news, Bradley’s trainer Joel Diaz feels the Filipino icon has his reasons for such reluctance, bringing his debatable decision over Marquez three months back into the equation.

“I don’t blame him,” Diaz said during our conversation. “A lot of people underestimate Tim. But Timothy is a lot faster than Marquez. He has faster feet and faster hands. He might not have the punching power, but he has faster movement. To me, Marquez won that fight. If Pacquiao has not signed, it’s because he has a little bit of doubt.”

An essential reason for tracking Diaz down was to get his take not just on Pacquiao, but also of some noise coming from his corner, specifically his trainer Freddie Roach and his strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza, as it appears the pre-fight gauntlet is already thrown around.

I crossed paths with Roach earlier this month in San Antonio, Texas at the final press conference for the February 4th HBO twin bill headlined by his fighter Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. successfully defending his belt against Marco Antonio Rubio.

Roach was asked about a possible Bradley fight at the time and offered up the following on the Palm Springs, California charge.

“He’s a dirty fighter, well, he’s a physical fighter,” Roach would say. “He uses his head, elbows, so forth. Manny does have some trouble with that because Manny can’t retaliate. I tell Manny that if a guy hits you low, hit him back low, but he won’t do that. So, the thing is, it could pose a bit of a problem.”

Asked whether he took offense to Roach’s remarks, Diaz admitted that it dug him a little deep.

“Oh, definitely,” said Diaz. “I think that’s very offensive, because I was a fighter myself [and] when I train a fighter, I train him to fight clean. Never, from day one, has our intention been to be dirty, because that’s just not me. That’s not my nature. That’s very offensive for me. If I ever see my fighter or my fighter ever has any intentions of using dirty tactics, believe me, I’ll bring it up to his attention because that’s not me.

“I don’t like to have that reputation as a trainer, to have a fighter who uses intentional head butts,” Diaz continued. “It’s just bad luck. It’s just [Bradley’s] style, maybe the way he steps in. But never in my years that I have trained Timothy, has he ever mentioned using his head intentionally. Unfortunately Timothy had a few incidents that ended up a head-butt but it’s not because he does it on purpose. That’s just his style.”

Ariza took things further yesterday during a conversation with Ben Thompson of FightHype.com, showing disinterest in the Bradley fight, claiming that Pacquiao’s sparring partners at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles were even better than him.

Yet again, Diaz would stand up for his fighter.

“Alex Ariza can say whatever he wants,” Diaz said firmly. “He doesn’t even know Tim Bradley. He’s never been in camp with Tim Bradley. He hasn’t even stepped in the gym to see Tim Bradley train. I mean, I can say the same thing. I can open my mouth to the world and say ‘In my gym I have better fighters than Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. I have better fighters than Manny Pacquiao’. But who’s going to believe me?”

Diaz then asked a few simple questions of his own.

“I give every fighter his respect,” Diaz explained. “I cannot compare any fighter to Tim Bradley. Let me just tell you, if he has better fighters in his gym, better fighters than Tim Bradley, how comes nobody knows them? How come they’re not world champions?”

Last topic to touch on with Diaz was of the recent ‘early’ retirement talk coming from Pacquiao, as he recently mentioned that he could be walking away from boxing as early as next year. A congressman in the province of Sarangani in the Philippines, Pacquiao has been spreading himself a bit thin with his obligations in recent years and some question whether his heart is still in the sport.

Hearing such talk coming from one of the world’s finest athletes causes definite suspicion for Diaz.

“When your mind and your plans are in retirement mode, it’s because somewhere inside your heart, you don’t feel the hunger anymore,” Diaz claimed. “Let me tell you something, Manny Pacquiao’s been in this business plenty of time already. He’s been at the top of his game for many years. After a while, his mind and his body gets tired.

“If he’s thinking about retiring after this fight or the next, it’s because somewhere in his mind, he just doesn’t feel that passion for the sport anymore.” Diaz added. “Because if he really felt the passion for the sport, he’d look ahead.”

By Chris Robinson

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=49598

WBO junior welterweight Timothy Bradley (28-0, 12KOs) is very, very determined to become the first boxer to defeat Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38KOs) since 2005. Last week, Bradley signed a contract to challenge Pacquiao for the WBO’s welterweight title on June 9th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Bradley sat down with BoxingScene.com to discuss the biggest fight of his career.

BoxingScene.com: You’ve noticed Pacquiao having some issues in his last couple of fights. Do you believe that he’s finally slowing down?

Bradley: I don’t know if he’s slowing down, but he’s had a lot of complications and excuses the last couple of times. Everybody is pointing fingers and saying ‘Pacquiao didn’t do this’ or ‘Pacquiao didn’t listen to this.’ I’m really curious though. I’m real curious [to see] if that’s true or not.

I think right now is the best time to face Pacquiao, [who is] coming off a kind of controversial win with [Juan Manuel] Marquez. Marquez is a great fighter, a great counter-puncher and just a great fighter – but he’s 38-years-old. He’s not like he used to be 38. He’s not fresh like he used to be, when he was in his 20’s.

BoxingScene.com: The qualities that you bring to the fight.

Bradley: I’m very young, determined. I’m the young lion. I can box, as well as brawl, and I can counter-punch as well. I love to counter-punch. I’m quick; I can get in and out from danger. I have great defense. I feel like I’m a major step for Pacquiao. I think it’s a winnable fight for me.

BoxingScene.com: Last year, everybody gave you a lot of heat for taking a pass on the Amir Khan fight. And now you’ve landed one of the two biggest names in the sport, for considerably more money than what you would have made for Khan.

Bradley: I’m excited that he’s decided to challenge me. I’m excited that my manager Cameron Dunkin, the best manager in the game hands down – he definitely delivered. And of course I thank my wife and Team Bradley for always believing in me and always pushing me hard in training camp. We knew what we were trying to do. We always had a goal and that’s to face the best in our minds. And I stuck to it and now look at this. Everyone was giving me [hell] about the Amir Khan thing. You know what, this is the real deal right now and we’re fighting the best fighter in the world, Manny Pacquiao.

BoxingScene.com: Pacquiao seems to struggle with pure counter-punchers. That’s not really your style of fighting. Do you believe that you might have to counter-punch more often in this fight?

Bradley: I really don’t know. I haven’t been in the ring with him yet. I really don’t know exactly on how it’s going to go. It all depends on how Pacquiao comes out and then I’ll make my adjustments in there. I already have a couple of game plans in my mind. When I get into the fight, I should prevail, I should definitely prevail…land shots on Pacquiao that other fighters didn’t land and get out of trouble….counter-punch when I need to. I know Pacquiao likes to come forward and likes to bang as well.

BoxingScene.com: Thoughts on Pacquiao’s power.

Bradley: If he catches me on the chin flush and I don’t go anywhere – it’s going to be a long night baby. I have a really good chin. I have a solid chin. I’ve been down officially one time. I don’t count that second knockdown with Kendall Holt. I don’t count that bro. I didn’t even go down. The first knockdown of course, a punch that I didn’t see. He has power. I know he has 13 knockouts or so, but he has power. I don’t know if Manny can hit harder than that. Honestly, I don’t know. Kendall is a big guy, naturally bigger than Manny and he’s very strong. When I fought him he was primetime. We’ll have to see. After the first round…I’ll know what I can do after the first round.

Boxingscene.com: When you previously made a move to welterweight in 2010, against Carlos Abregu, most people felt that you didn’t look the same as you usually do at 140-pounds. Was there anything that you did wrong, maybe with bulking up, that you plan to change for this fight?

Bradley: At that time, I worked on one game plan for Abregue and he came in with a whole different strategy. I thought he was going to be aggressive and that he was going to come forward and bang me out, but then he came with a whole different strategy. He was the bigger guy, but he laid back and was trying to lure me in. I was like ‘man, we didn’t train for this.’

Abregua was trying to box a little bit. He was using his jab and trying to set me up for counters and jabs. I was amazed. It kind of threw me off. When I watched tapes, he came in like a wildman with other guys. I think by that, coming in and having to make the adjustments in the ring – it kind of threw me off. He was also a little awkward to hit, to catch his timing.

By Rick Reeno

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=49560

El fin de semana en San Antonio, Texas, entrevisté a Freddie Roach durante las festividades de la cartilla Nonito Donaire-Wilfredo Vazquez Jr./Julio Cesar Chávez Jr.-Marco Antonio Rubio por HBO desde el Alamodome. La presencia de Roach hizo ver la victoria de Chávez, el campeón mundial WBC de los medianos, en una dura batalla con Rubio.

Y mientras el campeón de 25 años de Sinaloa, México es uno de los nombres más calientes del deporte, Roach es conocido por haber supervisado el trabajo del icono filipino Manny Pacquiao. Por el momento, Pacquiao está prácticamente agendado para una pelea el 9 de junio en el MGM Grand en Las Vegas con el titular OMB junior welter Timothy Bradley, y Roach aparenta estar contento con tal pelea.

“Mi tarea es prepararlo para cualquiera que nos pongan en frente,” declaró Roach. “Ya no negocio las peleas con él. Eso lo hace con Bob y al parecer la próxima pelea será con Bradley el 9 de junio. No tengo problemas con eso. Lo prepararé para esa noche.”

Roach luego mencionó que él también tenía esperanzas de una pelea de Pacquiao con Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“Soy fan del boxeo y me hubiese gustado que fuese Mayweather pero el asunto es que él nos reta y se muestra todo brabucón y luego pide una división de bolsa de 70/30 split. Él sabe que eso es una exigencia que cancela toda negociación, así que me toca preguntar ¿quién es el que lleva faldas ahora?’” preguntó Roach.

A Roach se le preguntó si veía algo especial en Bradley y en su lugar opinó bastante mal del boxeador de Palm Springs, California, para luego argumentar algo más ligero.

“Es un boxeador sucio, bueno, es un boxeador físico,” declaró Roach. “Usa su cabeza, hombros y demás. Manny tiene ciertos problemas con eso porque no riposta ante eso. Le digo a Manny si un boxeador te da un golpe bajo, dale un golpe bajo también pero no lo hace. El asunto es que eso pudiese ser un pequeño problema. La rapidez y pegada de Pacquiao resultarán mucho para Bradley. Debe ser una pelea emocionante por el momento que dure.”

Y mientras que Pacquiao es muy probable que batalle con Bradley, un mes antes Mayweather hará lo mismo con el puertorriqueño Miguel Cotto, el actual campeón mundial AMB de los junior medianos y el boxeador que atrae la tercera mejor audiencia en el deporte.

“De hecho es una buena pelea,” continuó Roach. “No habría ninguna otra forma de vender esa pelea. Cotto es durable, está en una buena racha. Mayweather es un gran contraatacante, es una buena pelea.”

Roach seguro ha estudiado a Cotto en años recientes, desde la pelea con Pacquiao hasta los rumores de una pelea con Chávez Jr. Y al ser preguntado cuál sería la mejor forma para Mayweather derrotar a Cotto, Roach dio a entender que sería una pelea muy dura.

“Bueno, Mayweather es un gran contraatacante y absorbe los golpes y es muy bueno hacienda eso.” Añadió Roach, “No tiene el mismo patrón que Pacquiao, quien es más atacante. Mayweather derrotaría a Cotto contraatacando.

“Pero diré esto: el nuevo entrenador de Miguel es cubano y los cubanos son contraatacantes muy buenos porque eso es lo que son. Los cubanos que vienen de las Olimpiadas son todos contraatacantes. Creo que diseñaran una buena estrategia y con suerte les irá bien.”

By Chris Robinson, BoxingScene.com

http://www.notifight.com/artman2/publish/Entrevista_6/Roach_Bradley_es_un_boxeador_sucio_printer.php

Last week, WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao chose undefeated Tim Bradley to be his next opponent. The undefeated junior welterweight champion was selected from a list of four fighters that also included Juan Manuel Marquez, Miguel Cotto and Lamont Peterson. During the selection process, Pacquiao received criticism for having two junior welterweights in Bradley and Peterson on his short list of opponents. Some critics said that those fighters would be too small for Pacquiao even though the Filipino icon typically weighs in far below the welterweight limit and seems to be a natural junior welterweight himself.

BoxingScene.com recently caught up with Bradley to get his opinion on moving up in weight to face Pacquiao. Bradley immediately debunked the theory that he will be too small for Pacquiao and said that there is a good chance he will be the heavier man on fight night.

“When I enter the ring I will probably be 150 or 151 pounds, give or take a pound or two,” Bradley told Boxingscene.com.

The Southern California based Bradley also said that he regularly fought in the 152 pound weight class in the amateurs and that he will have more power as a welterweight. In July of 2010 Bradley soundly defeated Luis Carlos Abregu in his HBO debut in a fight fought at the welterweight limit.

“147 is my natural weight. People don’t know but in the amateurs I fought at 152 pounds,” stated Bradley. “People say I don’t have power but it is a real struggle to get down to 140. I walk around at 160 or more. I will be a lot more comfortable and have more pop at 147. People will see that on June 9th,” he continued.

Pacquiao-Bradley takes place on June 9th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV and will be broadcast by HBO pay-per-view.

By Ryan Burton

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=49507

WBO junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (28-0, 12KOs) doesn’t consider himself as “the smaller man” in the upcoming fight with Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38KOs), the WBO’s champion at 147-pounds. During his amateur career, Bradley was fighting at 147, and then moved up to 152 when he tried to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team. Bradley previously fought at 147 in 2010 and won a twelve round decision over Carlos Abregu on HBO.

Bradley says that he walks around at 160, 165-pounds, while Pacquiao walks around at a lower weight. He says Pacquiao’s strong legs, where some believe his power comes from, is the only size difference.

“A lot of people think I’m the smaller guy, that I’m the little guy,” Bradley told hometown paper The Desert Sun. “This is what the public doesn’t realize, when I was 16, I didn’t fight at 118. I fought at 152 pounds when I was 16. I naturally walk around at 160, 165 pounds. Manny probably gets no higher than 155, maybe 150 walking around. I’m a naturally bigger guy even though I fought at 140 and he fought at 147.

“If you look at my muscle mass, his muscle mass, I’m the bigger guy. What Manny does have is bigger legs. His legs are ridiculous. Where he makes up for it is his leg, I make up for it with the top half of my body. I’m used to fighting guys 6-0, 5-10. So the whole power thing of me being the little guy, you can throw that out the window. That won’t be the case during the fight.”

By Edward Chaykovsky

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=49406

El filipino Manny Pacquiao enfrentaría al estadounidense Timothy Bradleyel 9 de junio en el MGM Grand de Las Vegas, Nevada, según una serie de reportes periodísticos dados a conocer este lunes en Estados Unidos.

En un inicio, se manejó que Pacquiao chocaría con Floyd Mayweather Jr., pero después de una serie de estira y encoje en las negociaciones, Mayweather negoció enfrentar a Miguel Cotto, campeón superwelter de la Asociación Mundial de Boxeo (AMB), y Pacquiao tuvo que decidirse por Bradley, uno de varios rivales que esaba en agenda.

Bob Arum, director de Top Rank, al parecer llegó a un acuerdo con el filipino y sólo resta finiquitar los términos del contrato con los representantes de Bradley, para oficializar el duelo por la corona welter de la Organización Mundial de Boxeo (OMB), en poder del filipino.

Lamont Peterson y Juan Manuel Márquez eran otros candidatos para enfrentar a Pacquiao en este evento del 9 de junio. En el caso de Márquez, incluso, se habla que podría darse la revancha para el mes de noviembre. Pero después de lo conocido hoy, Pacquiao tendría enfrente a Bradley en su próxima presentación en Las Vegas.

http://www.notifight.com/artman2/publish/Reporte_7/Pacquiao-Bradley_el_9_de_junio.php

WBO Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao has agreed to terms to defend his welterweight title against junior welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley Jr. on June 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Michael Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser, told ESPN.com on Monday.

The Bradley side still needs to finalize its deal with promoter Top Rank.

“From our end, the fight is done,” Koncz said. “I just got off the phone with (Top Rank’s) Bob Arum and Manny, so we’re done. I don’t assume there will be a problem from the Bradley side. We came to terms with Top Rank on the fight and Manny has approved everything. This morning I had a number of conversations with Bob negotiating the June 9 fight and I relayed everything to Manny.”

Top Rank president Todd duBoef told ESPN.com that he is still working to finalize Bradley’s end of the deal.

“We are going to be having further conversations with Bradley and his management early this week and hopefully finalize the deal,” duBoef said. “But the truth is my (promotional) agreement with Bradley lays out certain parameters for a Pacquiao fight, so there is a framework already.”

The hopes for a long-anticipated Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight ended last week when, after the sides once again did not come to terms, Mayweather announced he would challenge junior middleweight titlist Miguel Cotto on May 5. Cotto had also been in the running to face Pacquiao in a rematch, but Pacquiao and Cotto could not agree on the weight for the fight. Pacquiao wanted the 147-pound welterweight limit, which Cotto said was too low for him, and he accepted a deal from Mayweather.

The other names in the running to face Pacquiao in the pay-per-view fight were junior welterweight titlist Lamont Peterson and Juan Manuel Marquez, who is 0-2-1 in three incredibly close and exciting fights with Pacquiao, including a majority decision loss to him in November.

Bradley would move up in weight to challenge Pacquiao for his title.

“We’ve been talking about this for over a month and we always had a Plan B in case Mayweather didn’t happen,” Koncz said. “Last time I went to the Philippines, I took Manny tapes of all of the opponents we were talking about and he watched them with his wife, Jinkee. Bradley was one of them, as everybody knows.”

There is a chance Marquez will fight Peterson next, with the winner of that bout getting a fall match against Pacquiao if a Mayweather fight still is not made.

Koncz flew to San Antonio last weekend to meet with Arum, who was there promoting Saturday night’s Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.-Marco Antonio Rubio middleweight title fight at the Alamodome, about the Bradley fight. Cameron Dunkin, Bradley’s co-manager, was also in San Antonio and met with Arum.

Bradley (28-0, 12 KOs), 28, of Palm Springs, Calif., does not have the kind of profile as the other opponents who were in the running, although he is widely considered one of the top 10 fighters in the world even though his most recent fights have not been hits.

Thirteen months ago, he won a sloppy, head butt-induced 10th-round technical decision in a heavily hyped junior welterweight unification fight against Devon Alexander. It did poorly at the gate and did not come close to the ratings expectations HBO had hoped it would achieve, despite spending millions on the fight and its marketing.

Then Bradley rejected a July fight he had called for with Amir Khan to further unify the 140-pound division, even though Khan, who brought far more economic muscle to the fight, offered him a 50-50 deal.

Bradley then split with co-promoters Gary Shaw and Ken Thompson and, despite litigation, signed with Top Rank, knowing a Pacquiao fight was possible.

Top Rank gave Bradley the high-profile co-feature slot on the Pacquiao-Marquez III pay-per-view card in November. Bradley stopped faded former lightweight champion Joel Casamayor in the eighth round of an uncompetitive, foul-filled fight.

But Bradley is in his prime, fast and experienced against good opponents, and he could give 33-year-old Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KOs) a competitive fight.

“Bradley is a young, undefeated fighter who deserves a chance,” Koncz said. “Manny is excited. Until we name an opponent, boxing is out of Manny’s mind. He’s busy working in (the Filipino) congress. But he gets interested in boxing again when he has an opponent and a fight. Now we know we have a date (and) an opponent and he’s excited.”

Koncz, who lives in Southern California, said he is flying to the Philippines on Tuesday night to meet with Pacquiao and go over logistics for the media tour for the fight.

Dan Rafael is a boxing writer for ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter @danrafaelespn.

http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/7547798/manny-pacquiao-agrees-terms-fight-timothy-bradley-jr

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and president Todd DuBeof are scheduled to meet with Manny Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz and Cameron Dunkin, manager of undefeated WBA Junior Welterweight champion Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley here in San Antonio, Thursday to hopefully finalize details of a June 9 title fight between WBO welterweight champion and pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao and Bradley.

In an interview with BoxingScene.com, Manila Standard and Dyan Castillejo of ABS-CBN, Arum said “we will sit down and try to thresh everything out and then Manny will be contacted in the Philippines and hopefully we will be able to make an announcement on Tuesday which is two days after the Super Bowl.”

The 28 year old Bradley has a record of 28-0 with 12 knockouts and will be coming off an 8th round TKO over former world champion Joel Casamayor last November 12, 2011.

Bradley won the WBC title with a 12 round split decision over Junior Witter on May 10, 2008 and added the WBO title with a 12 round decision over Kendall Holt on April 4, 2009. One of his more impressive wins was against newly crowned WBA/IBF champion Lamont Peterson on December 12, 2009 before Peterson won a controversial decision over Amir Khan. Bradley dropped Peterson in the third round en route to a comfortable decision.

Bradley’s manager Dunkin who also handles Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire told us he expects the Pacquiao-Bradley fight to push through even as Floyd Mayweather Jr announced he would fight 154 pound champ Miguel Cotto on May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Mayweather made the announcement after the Nevada State Athletic Commission issued the fighter a conditional, one-fight license warning him he had to go to prison to begin serving a 90 day sentence on June 1 and had to stay out of trouble.

Arum said the Mayweather situation “is really bizarre, its really sad because its making a circus of boxing. Its obvious to anybody who has looked at this, that the fight isn’t happening because of Mayweather. For two years one thing was in stone — that was a 50-50 deal and now Mayweather has departed from it and thats ridiculous. Hopefully when our fight is set in June, his fight is now set for May, we will sit down sensibly without a lot of pressure and plan a fight if both (Pacquiao and Mayweather) are successful for November, hopefully.”

However, Arum cautioned “with these birds there is no rational kind of thing. I know what Mayweather is up to. He’s trying to get some investor to put up a tremendous amount of money, pay Manny a fraction of that and keep the rest to himself. But I’ve been in this game too long to let that happen.”

Responding to Mayweather’s offer of $40 million to Pacquiao while he retains all the ay-per-view and other ancillary income Arum made a counter-offer of a guaranteed $50 million and said “its a no brainer. I’d give him $50 million in two seconds because each of these guys (Pacquiao and Mayweather) is going to make a lot more than $50 million once we get the fight on. I believe the fight will do about 3 million pay-per-view homes in the United States and Canada and the gate is going to be tremendous.”

The Top Rank promoter also revealed that he and DuBeof had spoken to the MGM people who told him that they want to do an outdoor stadium where the Mandalay Bay Convention Center is. Arum noted “there is plenty of room to put the outdoor stadium up and you use that tremendously large convention center for a boxing experience so that people can come and see the old boxing memorabilia, films and everything. Its great for boxing and the press will have great accommodations and its all working but nobody is going to spend the money to put up an outdoor stadium unless they know there is going to be a fight.”

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=49178

WBO junior welterweight champion Tim Bradley has received heavy criticism from Amir Khan since their July 2011 fight fell through. After Bradley defeated Devon Alexander and Khan beat Marcos Maidana the two fighters where supposed to face each other in a fight for junior welterweight supremacy. The fight never materialized as Bradley opted to sit out his promotional contract so that he could sign with Top Rank.

Last month Khan was upset by heavy underdog Lamont Peterson in Washington, DC. While on The Boxing Lab, BoxingScene.com’s official audio show, Bradley said that despite Khan’s loss, he still wanted to meet the British star in the center of the squared circle.

“I still want Khan. Don’t get it twisted,” stated Bradley. “Like I said before payback is a bitch. I still want to bust that dude up and hit him in the mouth. He talked sh*t and he is definitely a guy that I want to leave cuts on his face.”

Bradley said that he feels that 2012 will be his best year yet. He thinks that the new year will bring a changing of the guard and boxing’s young guns will take over.

“When I had my toast on New Year’s eve I said that 2012 is the year of Bradley. Its time for the new faces of boxing to take over. Guys like me, Andre Ward and other young guys will be taking over. If you bet on Bradley you always get paid,” Bradley said in closing.

By Ryan Burton

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=48121

WBO/WBA lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (53-6-1, 39KOs) has once again discussed his interest in facing WBO 140-pound champion Timothy Bradley (28-0, 12KOs). Marquez, who turns 39-years-old in August, is looking to retire by the end of 2012 and wants the best fights possible. The top priority is a fourth fight with WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, who won a twelve round majority decision over Marquez on November 16th.

If Pacquiao is unavailable, Marquez wants Bradley. He considers Bradley’s style as being more diffcult to overcome in comparison to Pacquiao, who the Mexican champion faced for 36 rounds.

“If it won’t be Pacquiao, then I want it to be Bradley. Erik Morales is a good fighter [at 140] but we want the best possible options there are.Bradley is the better option. He holds the best ranking [at 140] and he has a style that is more difficult than Pacquiao,” Marquez said.

By Miguel Rivera

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=48084

Juan Manuel Marquez (53-6-1, 39KOs), the lightweight world champion of the WBA and the WBO, is going to explore his options for 2012. The Mexican star is looking to have a fourth fight with Manny Pacquiao, the WBO’s welterweight champion. If no deal is made for Pacquiao, Marquez is willing to chase a world championship at 140-pounds, but he’s not interested in an all-Mexican showdown with Erik Morales. He would rather fight undefeated WBO king Timothy Bradley (28-0, 12KOs).

“My plans are not to retire, and I am focused on the fourth fight against Manny Pacquiao. So far I do not know if it will happen in May or all the way in November. If [the fight] is not made soon, then I look for another great opportunity, like Timothy Bradley, the WBO’s junior welterweight champion,” Marquez said. “[Morales] is a great fighter, very good, but there are other opponents who are bigger, like Bradley. I want to face the best, and that’s what I remember Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns doing.”

As previously reported, Marquez refuses to fight Pacquiao in Las Vegas. He would fight the Filipino champion in Mexico or a neutral location like Texas.

“With Pacquiao I said I would fight him, but outside of Las Vegas, where I was robbed [in more than one fight] against him. I doubt he would agreed to come to Mexico, or Azteca Stadium in Mexico. We could fight in Texas. I am able to fill the Azteca, but with prices according to the economy. I still hope to fight for one or two more years. At my age I can not think about continuing to fight for too many years. Boxing is dangerous, and no matter how much money you can win, you won’t be able to buy another brain. ”

By Ernesto Castellanos, notifight.com

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=47921

WBO light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (28-0, 12 KO’s) thinks Lamont Peterson (30-1-1, 15 KO’s) needs to let Amir Khan cry and suffer a while before facing him again. Instead, Bradley thinks Peterson should fight him next before facing Khan in a rematch.

Peterson and Bradley fought two years ago in December 2009 with Bradley beating Peterson by a 12 round unanimous decision by the scores 118-110, 119-108 and 120-107.

Bradley told RingTV “I think he [Peterson] needs to leave Amir alone for a while and let him whine a little bit and let him feel it, because you know Amir don’t give nobody a rematch. I think that Lamont Peterson should come and see Tim Bradley, man and get some revenge.”

hat sounds like a good idea, because Khan will still want to fight Peterson again whether he loses to Bradley or not. Peterson could get two title fights under his belt instead of just one. If he loses to Khan, then a Bradley fight will likely not happen. It might be a better option to take a payday fight against Bradley, if Peterson believes he can truly beat him this time. As soundly as Bradley defeated Peterson two years ago, I’m not so certain that Peterson would do any better in a rematch. Bradley really his number in that fight and hurt him on a couple of occasions.

Bradley is right about Khan not giving rematches to guys that he head. He doesn’t do it. Khan didn’t even do it when he was destroyed in one round by Breidis Prescott in 2008. Peterson is obviously a different story for Khan, because he can’t punch like Prescott, and is thus a less dangerous option.

Bradley signed with Top Rank recently and fought for the first time for them last month, stopping 40-year-old Joel Casamayor in the 8th round. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is grooming Bradley for a big money in house fight against WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao in the near future.

By William Mackay

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2011/12/timothy-bradley-peterson-needs-to-let-khan-whine-and-suffer-and-fight-me-instead/

WBO junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley is the only boxer to defeat Lamont Peterson in the ring, by decision, two years ago. On Saturday night in Washington, DC, Peterson challenges Bradley’s main rival, WBA/IBF 140-pound champion Amir Khan. Although Peterson has had some good performances since losing to Bradley, Khan is the overwhelming favorite to win. Even Bradley himself is picking Khan to win and gives the British the edge with his faster hands. Bradley picks Khan by decision, but says a knockout win will erase any doubts about Khan’s status as an elite fighter.

“His movement and quickness and jab will give him problems,” Bradley told The Desert Sun. “Peterson will come and make it a hell of a fight and he has a chance for an upset, but Khan is polished. Peterson will have a good chance, but I favor Khan because he’s quicker and he throws his combinations and he gets in and out. That’s what I did when I fought Peterson. I’d be surprised if he stopped Peterson. If he stops him, then he’s the real deal. But [Peterson is] tough and this is his second opportunity to fight on the big stage for a world title. And it is in his back yard. He will be motivated to put on a good show and fight hard.”

By Pawel Pronishev

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=47008