WBO junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley is expected to return in early 2012. The undefeated champion is spending time with his family after recently making his debut under the Top Rank promotional banner.

Bradley (28-0, 12KO) stopped Joel Casamayor on November 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Bradley’s fight received major media coverage because Top Rank positioned the bout in a co-feature slot to the latest entry in the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez trilogy.

The bout was his first in nearly 10 months after separating from former promoters Gary Shaw Productions and Thompson Boxing. Bradley is ready for all of the big names and WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao is the main target.

“I want to fight the best fighters out there. Manny Pacquiao is number one on my list. I definitely want to fight Floyd Mayweather or Amir Khan, Marcos Maidana. It doesn’t really matter. Bring ’em on. The list goes on. All comers. Bring them on,” Bradley said.
By Chris LaBate

MGM Grand, Las Vegas – WBO junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (28-0, 12KOs) stopped former titleholder Joel Casamayor (38-6-1, 22KOs) in the eight round, after the Cuban boxer’s corner stopped the fight.

The fight wasn’t easy on the eyes. Casamayor would grab and hold every single time he got tagged. Bradley, inactive since January’s decision win over Devon Alexander, looked sharp but the Cuban veteran wasn’t an easy target. Casamayor was moving, grabbing on the inside, and using the ropes to slide away from combinations.

Bradley was starting to land his punches in the fourth, with Casamayor staying away once hit. In the fifth, Bradley dropped Casamayor with a hard hook to the body. Casamayor made it up, with Bradley continuing to work the body and following up with combinations to the head. At the start of the sixth, Casamayor went down again but the knockdown wasn’t clean and looked more like a slight shove. Bradley closed the round by ripping combinations to Casamayor’s body.

During the eight, Bradley was ripping Casamayor to the head and punishing the Cuban to the body. In the final ten seconds, another shot to the body forced Casamayor to take a knee. At that point, Casamayor’s trainer, Miguel Diaz, entered the ring to wave it off.

 

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=45971

A dejected Juan Manuel Marquez walked into the MGM conference room after a scene that was all too familiar to the proud Mexican champion. Another twelve rounds with Manny Pacquiao and another decision that didn’t go his way.

For Marquez, this was the Mexican painting a beautiful portrait only to see it thrown in the trash yet again by the judges. This time, there was an overwhelming air in the MGM Grand Garden Arena that Marquez would finally even the score. But after being an overwhelming underdog who executed a brilliant game plan that featured effective counterpunching that gave Pacquiao fits, Marquez had to listen to the judges’ scores of 114-114, 115-113 and 116-112 to once again give Pacquiao the decision. Marquez is understandably sick of the same story being played out and uttered a statement to the media that was shocking but perhaps made perfect sense to a man who did all he could to see the rug pulled from under him again.

“Honestly, I don’t know what I need to do to change the minds of the judges,” Marquez (53-6-1) said. “I need to sit down with my family and figure out whether I will continue or retire from this sport.”

Retire? Although at first it sounds outlandish that a fighter who pushed the seemingly invincible Manny Pacquiao to the brink on three occasions would consider walking away from the sport, if you put yourself in Marquez’ shoes, it might make more sense.

At 38-years-old, Marquez has accomplished just about everything he could as a fighter. A former world champion, a pound for pound great and arguably one of the finest fighters Mexico has given to the sport. But despite all of the accomplishments, he can’t get over the hump known as Pacquiao. While the rest of the planet has bowed down to Pacquiao’s punching prowess, Marquez scoffs and has proceeded to bring Super Manny crashing back down to earth with his gloves laced with kryptonite. But what do you do when you have beat Pacquiao in the minds of many at least one out of three times but find yourself 0-2-1? Sooner or later the frustration sets in and you realize that nothing you can possibly do will put you in the win column.

“I thought I won this fight more clearly than the other two fights. I don’t know what else I can do,” Marquez said. “Honestly, the result of the fight has made me considering retirement. I worked very hard and ended up with this.”

However, despite the looming cloud of a superfight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Top Rank’s Bob Arum realizes that there’s unfinished business regardless of what the official scorecards say.

“Maybe one day this battle will get settled but this one sure didn’t do it,” Arum said. “I would advise both Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez to do this again in May.”
May? Isn’t that when Floyd Mayweather allegedly threw down the gauntlet for a proposed showdown with Pacqauiao? Well, it appears that nobody is comfortable with moving on to a fight with Mayweather if this Marquez business continues to linger.

Even Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach wasn’t too happy with the victory and knows that the third fight did less to close the book and instead added another chapter.

“This is a fight that I kind of don’t want to do again but I think we have to,” Roach said. “He’s given us problems three times and I do believe he deserve a rematch before we face Mayweather.”

A Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight may be the one the world wants to see, but boxing pundits know better. You have to finish your breakfast before moving on to dinner. And Pacquiao clearly hasn’t put away Marquez. Nobody seems comfortable with this win, well, maybe except for Pacquiao.

“I think I won pretty clearly,” Pacquiao (54-3-2) said after getting a laceration over his right eye stitched up. Although the words spilled out of his mouth with the usual Pacquiao confidence, his face told a different story. It wasn’t the world beater that we have come to know in the ring on Saturday night. This was a Pacquiao who had to gut it out against a man who certainly has his number. Pacquiao struggled mightily with Marquez’ counterpunching but was aggressive enough to convince the judges that this fight was his.

“Marquez always waits for me to create action so he can counter. It’s not easy to do that. I was very careful,” Pacquiao explained. “I have to accept that it’s not easy to fight Marquez”

No, it’s certainly not easy for Pacquiao to fight Marquez. Who knows what the future holds for these two fighters. Perhaps they will move on and eye a showdown with Mayweather and let the record books tell who won this trilogy. But maybe the truth that Marquez, not Mayweather, was the man that Pacquiao couldn’t get past will gnaw at him enough to give way to a fourth fight and maybe jeopardize the megafight. What if Marquez retires though?

There are tons of questions that need answering and the only thing that’s for sure after Marquez vs. Pacquiao III is that nothing is for sure.

http://www.fightnewsextra.com/cc/2011/11-pacquiao_marquez_postfight.htm

Story by Andreas Hale
Photos by Chris Cozzone

Timothy Bradley isn’t concerned about Joel Casamayor getting dirty during their fight Saturday night.

The crafty Cuban southpaw is a notorious rule-bender, but Bradley believes he is more than ready to respond appropriately if Casamayor does anything questionable in their 12-round fight for Bradley’s WBO junior welterweight title.

“I am rough in there, too,” Bradley said. “He is in there with a young lion, hungry for greatness. He can get rough all he wants because I have my tricks of the trade, also. We will talk to the referee [Vic Drakulich] in the pre-fight interview and let him know about his dirty tactics. We prepare for that in training. I know things he likes to do and we are prepared for it. He’s not going to sneak anything by me.”

Bradley (27-0, 11 KOs, 1 NC), of Palm Springs, Calif., and Miami’s Casamayor (38-5-1, 22 KOs) will square off in the co-featured fight of an HBO Pay-Per-View broadcast that’ll match Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs) against Juan Manuel Marquez (53-5-1, 39 KOs) in the 12-round main event at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

 

By: Keith Idec

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=45849

When boxing champion Timothy Bradley makes his Las Vegas debut Saturday, fans from the desert will be rooting for the Cathedral City product — both for who he is and what he represents.

Those who knew Bradley as a youth through his days at Cathedral City High School remember a dedicated athlete who talked about his dreams of fighting in Las Vegas.

Then there are those who discovered Bradley after he became a world champion, and see a role model and example of what can happen through hard work.

One local youth, 13-year-old Dominic Serna, trains at the Indio Boys and Girls Club, sparring in the same ring and hitting the same heavy bags as Bradley.

“It makes me feel like I’m training with the top fighters,” said Serna, one of the top young fighters in the area and in the country. “To be here in the same gym is a privilege. I don’t know him on a personal level, but I know him as a hard worker and very supportive.

“He’s humble. He treats everyone like he would treat anyone else.”

For nearly two years, Bradley has been recognized as one of the 10 best fighters in the world regardless of weight class. On Saturday, Bradley will defend his WBO title against 1992 Olympian Joel Casamayor at the MGM Grand.

A victory by Bradley could mean a chance at a big-time fight against Manny Pacquiao, regarded as one of the top two stars in the sport. Pacquiao is fighting the main event Saturday against Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez.

“Timothy proves that anything is possible,” said Marcos Caballero a boxing trainer with Coachella Valley Boxing Club whose son Randy is a promising prospect. “We all come from the same neighborhoods and for the kids, it’s a motivation to make it as far as he did.

“It will open the door for the amateur fighters we have.”

While Bradley mostly works out in the east valley, he has deep roots in the west side. He was born and raised in Palm Springs and went to school at Cathedral City High School, where his father, Tim Sr., is a security guard.

Bradley still lives in Cathedral City and is president of the Cathedral City Lions Junior All American Football program. His wife, Monica, serves as commissioner and his stepson, Robert, plays.

For many of the teachers and coaches who remembered Bradley at Cathedral City High School, they have a rooting interest. They have organized viewing of Saturday’s fight at Buffalo Wild Wings at the Westfield Mall in Palm Desert. Proceeds from the food sales will go to the Cathedral City High School athletic program.

“It’s been very exciting. Everyone is on the edge of their seat,” said Lisa Johnson, a physical education teacher at Cathedral City High who taught Bradley and his wife. “We know how important these next fights are.

“He’s on the brink of being a household name.”

Many of the Cathedral City coaches had planned to attend the fight in Las Vegas until they saw the $500 price tag. A lot of the coaches had gone to Bradley’s fights when they were at The Show inside the Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa.

“We were all spoiled. His wife Monica could get us tickets,” Johnson said. “Now we’re just trying to find that good spot to watch it together.”

Rob Hanmer, the former basketball coach at Cathedral City, said he still remembers teaching sixth-period PE, and Bradley was one of 10 athletes in the class who had the ability to earn a college scholarship.

But Bradley didn’t compete in the main sports of football or basketball despite the urging of the coaches. Because Bradley was working toward a shot on the Olympic boxing team, his father did not allow his son to play any sport where he could suffer an injury.

Hanmer, however, told Bradley he would make a spot for him on the basketball team if he could convince his father.

“He was excited about the opportunity,” Hanmer said. “He was in the gym, and then his dad came in and snatched him and put him back in the weight room. That ended his basketball career.”

Although Bradley stands at 5-foot-6, Hanmer said he had no doubt he could be successful on the basketball court.

“He has an unbelievable work ethic and really, really positive attitude,” Hanmer said. ”He was one of those kids trying to do the right things and work hard. Those are the kind of people you want to coach if you get the opportunity.”

But Hanmer and all the coaches knew Bradley was fully dedicated to becoming a boxer. It’s what they admired about him.

“Even when he was in high school, he had that drive and dedication,” said Johnson, a physical education teacher and former softball coach at Cathedral City High School. “You see something in a person, even at a young age. He had that drive. We see so many young people who have physical tools, but don’t have the heart. He had both at a very young age, that drive and heart.”

Cathedral City resident Brandon Revis, 29, went to school and church with Bradley and his family. Today, Revis’ 9-year-old son Adam plays in Bradley’s football program. But Revis said he can remember in high school how Bradley always talked about being a world champion and fighting in Las Vegas.

“This is great because he will do something he’s wanted to do his whole life,” said Revis. “I’m excited for him. He’s a disciplined, loyal and great guy.”

Bradley had to miss his 10-year high school reunion last weekend, but he is still visible at Cathedral City, training at the school and showing up at football games.

“He’s very humble, but he has a great personality,” Hanmer said. “He stops by school and says hello. He’s a part of our community. Even though he’s rich and famous, he’s still a person who comes to a football game and says hello to everyone. He’s a really good person.”

Bradley is also touching a younger generation of boxers, much like what his trainer Joel Diaz and his two brothers did before.

Bradley grew up idolizing the Diaz brothers, who were top prospects and all three fought for world titles, with youngest Julio becoming a two-time IBF lightweight champion.

Today, Bradley is setting an example like the Diaz brothers before him.

“I take my hat off to him; he’s proven a lot in the sport,” said Randy Caballero, a professional fighter with Golden Boy Promotions and top attraction at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino. “What he’s doing is good for the sport and he sets a good example. If you stick to it, you can do what you love.

“The impact to the valley, he sets the tone. Some people don’t know him and I wish his name was bigger. With what he’s accomplished, his name should be out there because what he’s done is not easy.”

Written by: Leighton Ginn (The Desert Sun)

http://www.mydesert.com/article/20111108/SPORTS03/111080313/Determined-Timothy-Bradley-defend-title-Saturday-Vegas

 

WBO President Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel, announced today the referees and judges who will work on the two world title bouts, Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Manuel Marquez and Timothy Bradley vs Joel Casamayor this Saturday, November 12, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada in a Top Rank Inc. presentation. Valcarcel reported that the referee for the WBO Welterweight Championship between the champion Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs) and the WBO lighweight titlist Marquez (53-5-1, 39 KOs), the referee will be Tony Weeks and judges will be Dave Moretti, Robert Hoyle and Glenn Trowbridge, all from Nevada. WBO Supervisor for this fight will be Valcarcel himself.

 

Meanwhile, for the WBO junior welter clash between Bradley (27-0, 11 KOs), who is going to defend his title for the fourth time against former two time champion Casamayor (38-5-1, 22 KOs), the referee will be Vic Drakulich. The judges will be Levi Martinez, from New Mexico, and Adelaide Byrd and Burt Clements, both from Nevada. WBO Supervisor for this bout will be the Chairman of the Ratings Committee, Luis Perez.

 

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/pacman-marquez-ref-is-weeks-101073

This past Saturday afternoon, Santa Anita Park hosted legendary Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and two of his fighters, Juan Manuel Marquez and Timothy Bradley, who took part in a media workout where all three met with members of the horse racing and boxing media and also chatted with fans and signed autographs.  WBO Junior welterweight champion Bradley will be taking on Joel Casamayor in a twelve round world title fight as part of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez III undercard on November 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Bradley is focused on Casamayor, because a win will place him in line for the big fights in 2012. Bradley wants them all, Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and even junior welterweight rival Amir Khan. There has been a lot of talk about a possible fight with Pacquiao in 2012. Bradley is picking Pacquiao to defeat Marquez, and he already sees a few exposable flaws in the Filipino boxer.

“I’ll take Manny in this fight (against Marquez). Manny just has too much size on him. I think it’s going to be a great fight. I’d have to fight a perfect fight to beat (Pacquiao) but I’ve seen weaknesses that I know I could expose and would win that fight. I’ll fight Mayweather right now. I’ll fight Manny. I’ll fight Khan. I’ll fight whoever they put in my way. I don’t care who it is. Just bring them on.”

 

By Pawel Pronishev

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=45752

When 2011 began, Timothy Bradley was primed to take his craft to the next level. The undefeated WBO light welterweight champion was set to face Devon Alexander for his WBC title with a plush HBO deal in place and the opportunity to prove his supremacy at 140lbs.

However, the fight with Alexander was far from the barnburner that fight fans wanted to see. Instead, Bradley walked away with an unsatisfying 10th round technical decision in a relatively inactive affair. Despite the win, Bradley wasn’t happy with his performance and even more dissatisfied with the prospects in front of him. In a bizarre sequence of moves, Bradley turned down a $1.4 million payday to face fellow titleholder Amir Khan on July 23rd, was stripped of his WBC title and was embroiled in a breach-of-contract lawsuit from his now former co-promoters Gary Shaw and Ken Thompson.

It was certainly a dark time for a fighter with such a bright career ahead of him.

But now Bradley (27-0, 11 KOs) is seeing greener pastures as he has inked a deal with Bob Arum and Top Rank promotions and will face Joel Casamayor on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao – Juan Manuel Marquez PPV card on November 12th. The opportunity for Bradley to pick up the momentum that he built before the Alexander fight is detrimental to his boxing career. He knows that more eyes than ever will be watching him on November 12th and he must perform.

“It is very important for me to put on a great show,” Bradley told FightNews. “I wasn’t happy with the performance against Devon Alexander. I couldn’t make that guy fight and sometimes that happens.” Bradley cites the one-sided affairs that Manny Pacquiao faced against Joshua Clottey and Shane Mosley as well as the recent snoozer when Nonito Donaire couldn’t get Omar Narvaez to come out of his shell. The fighter known as “Desert Storm” understands that a dynamic performance on a night where fireworks are sure to be set off between Pacquiao and Marquez will thrust him into bigger fights. However, he’s also aware that he’s never been much of a knockout artist. Bradley has only finished eleven of his opponents out of his 27 wins and hasn’t scored a TKO since April 2007 when he stopped Nasser Athumani in the fifth round. Against the crafty, yet much older, Casamayor, Bradley promises not to fight out of character.

“I can’t go out there and try to be something that I’m not – to go for the knockout and get myself knocked out,” the 28-year-old says flatly. “I am going to follow the game plan and look spectacular and that’s what it’s going to boil down to. It is in the back of my head that I have to put on a great show because this is a great opportunity and I know that I will because I have prepared myself very well for this fight.”

An impressive victory will place Bradley in talks to face stiffer competition which will certainly provide a bigger payday. The names Mayweather and Pacquiao roll off of Bradley’s tongue when discussing what’s next, but he has also considered the unfinished business he has with Amir Khan. He also doesn’t want people to get his shrugging off the bout with Khan as some sort of fear; rather, this was a business move. As a matter fact, Bradley is quick to point out that Khan originally ducked him back in 2009.

“Criticism doesn’t pay the bills,” Bradley says about his naysayers. “One day Amir Khan and I will get in the ring and settle it. I was actually supposed to fight Amir Khan after I fought Lamont Peterson then he went on to sign with Golden Boy and Golden Boy didn’t want any part of it.”

But for now the business at hand is against the 40-year-old Casamayor. Getting his career back on track is what is important. He knows he has the talent, and this brief speed bump has allowed him to refocus and pursue what he has always wanted to achieve: greatness. Whether it is dusting off the rest of the 140 pounders or bumping up to 147 to trade punches with Mayweather and Pacquiao (“For greater opportunities, I would move up to 147. 140 is getting kind of tight for me to make the weight.”) Bradley is ready to face all comers. He won’t promise knockouts, but he will promise that a much improved fighter will step into the ring on November 12th and grab everyone’s attention.

“We’ve been doing great things in camp and we see the results in the sparring sessions. My whole team sees the difference from all the hard work I have done over the last couple of months. You are going to see a different Tim Bradley in there on the 12th. I am going to be fast, explosive and punching hard.”

 

Story by Andreas Hale
Photos by “Big” Joe Miranda

http://www.fightnewsextra.com/cc/2011/11-bradley.htm

WBO light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (27-0, 11 KO’s) says he still intends on fighting IBF/WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan in the future but that he’s going to have to wait for Bradley to face bigger tests. Right now, Khan is small time stuff compared to the money fight that Bradley has in front of him in 2012 against Manny Pacquiao.

In the latest boxing news, Bradley is saying he’ll fight Khan at either 140 lbs or 147 lbs in the future, but it’s a fight that will have to marinate a little bit more. It’s too soon right now and Khan still isn’t a pay per view star in the U.S. It would be premature for Khan and Bradley to fight each other right now.

Things have rapidly changed in the past two years. A couple of years ago, before Bradley’s promoters with his former promoters, he had been trying long and hard to get a fight against Khan but was largely ignored. But then later after Bradley become mired in legal problems with his promoter, then Khan and his promotional company wanted the Bradley fight. Of course, Khan was ignored because Bradley couldn’t fight anyone.

Bradley is fighting a tune-up bout against 40-year-old southpaw Joel Casamayor (38-5-1, 22 KO’s) on the Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez undercard at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 12th. This is likely a warm-up for a fight against Pacquiao for next year. Bradley recently signed up with Top Rank Promotions, the same promoters for Pacquiao, and the president of the company Bob Arum really likes to match his Top Rank fighters against each other rather than putting them in against non-Top Rank fighters.

Pacquiao has already decimated Arum’s fighters at welterweight, beating Antonio Margarito, Joshua Clottey and Miguel Cotto in the past couple of years.

By William Mackay:
http://www.boxingnews24.com/2011/10/bradley-says-hell-get-around-to-fighting-khan-eventually/

WBO junior welterweight champion Timothy Bradley appeared on the latest edition of The Boxing Lab, BoxingScene’s official audio show. The California native recently signed a promotion contract with Top Rank and will make his debut with company on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez pay-per-view on November 12th in Las Vegas. Bradley will face former champion Joel Casamayor.

Bradley clarified the current situation with facing IBF/WBA champion Amir Khan. He rejected an offer to face Khan in July, but he believes the fight is still going to happen. Even if Khan moves up to 147, as expected in 2012, Bradley is open to facing him at the new weight.

“I’m not ducking Amir Khan. I made a business move. I know exactly what I am doing. I am not ducking Amir Khan at all. Amir can talk all he wants. At 140 or 147 you will see Bradley and Khan get it on. I told my manager Cameron (Dunkin) to put Khan on my list as someone I want to fight. If it makes sense…why not? That is a fight that the general public and boxing fans want to see,” Bradley said.

By Ryan Burton
http://www.boxingscene.com/tim-bradley-im-not-ducking-khan-hes-on-list–45042

Timothy Bradley began boxing at age 10. As an amateur, Bradley had a great record, including over 140 amateur bouts. He won titles at the PAL National Tournament, and became the Under 19 National Tournament Champion and the Jr. Golden Gloves Champion.

Bradley was also a two-time National Champion and before turning professional was ranked 3rd in the nation. Bradley started his professional career in August of 2004 against Francisco Martinez in Corona, California with a TKO in the 2nd round. His won his first title in 2005 when he defeated Francisco Rincon by unanimous decision and claimed the vacant WBC Youth Welterweight Title.

Bradley made four successful title defenses, and in 2008 won his first world title by defeating Junior Witter by split decision to claim the WBC Jr. Welterweight title. After one successful defense, Bradley went on to unify the titles by defeating Kendall Holt by unanimous decision. He was now the WBO/WBC Jr. Welterweight

Champion. In January 2011, Bradley had his most notable win when he defeated then undefeated Jr. Welterweight champ Devon Alexander. When asked why he is known as “Desert Storm”, Bradley explains he offers his opponents and his fans an all-out war each time he steps in the ring and this was a great way to honor all the service men and women that have successfully defended our country.

REGIONAL TITLES:

1. WBC Youth World Jr. Welterweight Champion

WORLD TITLES:

1. WBC Jr. Welterweight Champion (twice)

2. WBO Jr. Welterweight Champion