Tim’s Ten

10 battles with current, former and future champions for Timothy ahead of this weekend’s clash with the Pac Man…

As Timothy Bradley goes into this Saturday’s crunch rematch with Manny Pacquiao, he is buoyed by the fact he has faced 10 current, former or future (when he met them) world champions, including Pacquiao himself – Bradley remains undefeated against those fighters. Boxing News Magazine’s Danny Flexen takes us through them all…

 

Former world champions on Bradley’s record

1.    Miguel Vazquez (w pts 10, 2007) A 20-0 Bradley widely outscored the 18-1 Mexican in Corona, California. Vazquez has been IBF lightweight king since 2010 and made six defences.

 

2.    Junior Witter (w pts 12, 2008) Having never previously fought outside California, “Desert Storm” floored and outpointed the reigning WBC king to take the title in Nottingham.

 

3.    Kendall Holt (w pts 12, 2009) Bradley unified his WBC belt with Holt’s WBO strap in Montreal, despite getting dropped in the first and last of this 12 round bout.

 

4.    Nate Campbell (NC 3, 2009) Bradley looked in charge early on against the ex-unified lightweight boss in Rancho Mirage, California, before Campbell’s cut left eye – caused by an accidental head-clash – curtailed the contest.

 

5.    Lamont Peterson (w pts 12, 2009) Peterson was 27-0 coming in but Bradley, back in Rancho Mirage, decked his rival early and a disappointing Lamont never came into the fight. He would later take Amir Khan’s light-welterweight belts.

 

6.    Devon Alexander (w td 10, 2011) Some favoured the 21-0 WBC, 140lbs ruler ahead of this highly anticipated bout with 26-0 WBO champ, Bradley, in Pontiac, Michigan. A clash of styles and Alexander’s reluctance to engage ruined the fight as a spectacle. Bradley was ahead when Alexander bailed with cuts to both eyes. Devon would later wear the IBF welterweight crown.

 

7.    Joel Casamayor (w rsf 8, 2011) The ex-super-feather and lightweight title-holder had seen better days, but Bradley still did his job in style, bullying the Cuban and felling him three times at Saturday’s venue.

 

8.    Manny Pacquiao (w pts 12, 2012) Back at the MGM Grand, Bradley overcame injuries to both legs and nearly being stopped to last the distance and take a controversial decision – 115-113 for Duane Ford and CJ Ross, against a 115-113 Pacquiao from Jerry Ford.

 

9.    Ruslan Provodnikov (w pts 12, 2013) A triumph of courage under fire, Tim was rocked several times in Carson, California, and went down in the last but gutted out an impressive, though debilitating, victory. Provodnikov is now WBO light-welter boss.

 

10.    Juan Manuel Marquez (w pts 12, 2013) In a Vegas chess match, Bradley fought smart, counter-punching a noted counter-puncher and using speed and movement to prevail. Not including Interim straps, Marquez is a three-weight world champion.