By Allan Fox: After nine years of rarely knocking out anyone in the pro ranks, WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley (29-0, 12 KO’s) says he’s developed power during the last training camp and that he’s going to use this newfound power to stop his light welterweight opponent Ruslan Provodnikov (22-1, 15 KO’s) on March 16th at the Home Depot Center, in Carson, California, USA.
Bradley said “I am looking to make a statement in this fight, and am looking to damage this guy…he needs to worry about power.”
Bradley recognizes now that the fighters that get the most money in the sport are the ones that go all out looking to score knockouts and excite the crowd like WBC lightweight champion Adrien Broner. Bradley says he’s been working on his technique and his sparring partners are saying he’s hitting harder than he ever did before.
Bradley said “The sparring partners are asking what I am doing differently because my shots are a lot harder.”
Whether the sparring partners are telling the truth or are just blowing smoke up Bradley’s backside so that he’ll keep them employed throughout the camp is unclear, but what this suggests is that Bradley is going to try and mix it up with the hard hitting but limited Provodnikov on March 16th. That might not be a wise decision by Bradley because Provodnikov’s only chance of winning the fight is if Bradley chooses to stand in front of him and slug it.
However, that’s what Bradley’s going to have to do if he wants to become a more exciting fighter that boxing fans are eager to pay to see. That’s going to be the real test for Bradley. He’s always been someone that had little power and that would back off when met with resistance.
Can Bradley stand in the pocket for 12 rounds like Broner and trade power shots with his opposition? I kind of doubt it. It’s difficult for fighters to change their basic fighting style when they’ve been using that style their whole career like Bradley has.
If Bradley does stand in the pocket, we could see Provodnikov sliced to ribbons by head-butts rather than Bradley’s punches because he has a bad habit of leaning forward when he’s coming forward and the crown of his head often connects to the face of his opponents. Bradley’s head might be his best weapon in his arsenal.
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