Bradley marching along together with trainer Teddy Atlas

By Michael Vena - 11/09/2015 - Comments

bradley99999By Yannis Mihanos: WBO welterweight champion Tim “Desert storm” Bradley (33-1-1, 13 KOs) produced a convincing 9th round knockout victory last Saturday night against Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios (33-3-1, 24 KOs) at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Bradley overwhelmed a slow and over the hill Rios with his superior hand speed.

After the first two rounds the fight turned to a one sided display. Rios came to the fight with his mind made up to retire right after the fight. The money offer for this fight was $800,000 that Rios couldn’t turn it down.

And while Rios arguably came just for the paycheck, Bradley had more ambitious plans, he wanted to make a mark, showing his improvement with new head coach Teddy Atlas.

It is difficult for me to give Bradley very much credit for this victory because Rios was totally unfit to fight. I even wonder how Rios managed to get to 147 for the weigh-in, when in the ring came at 170 pounds! Amazing how far they have gone these dehydration methods.

Still I did find a few encouraging signs that might boost Bradley’s career. I recognized that Teddy Atlas knows well about boxing and what Bradley can do best and what cannot do so well and so he can foresee and prevent accidents waiting to happen.

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Bradley is a fighter prone to trouble, many times he has been involved to controversial decisions with the big highlight the first fight against Manny Pacquiao.

To me the problem of Bradley has always been one: “Trying to prove what he isn’t”. Even in the Saturday fight with Rios that there was no big risk, the old Bradley would have entered into war risking getting knocked out or get badly injured.

Let’s face it; Bradley is not the strongest fighter in the welterweight but he is what he is: a warrior. The old Bradley, the pre Atlas Bradley had the tendency to get into the fire, risking to lose control in many of his fights.

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This time around new trainer Teddy Atlas did not allow for this to happen. Bradley never engaged too much with much bigger and stronger Rios. He executed the plan to the letter and won as he was supposed to, and even better by the way of knockout.

A tired bull. That’s how Rios looked in the ninth round, just like these tired bulls in the matador arenas. After a barrage of body punches Rios went down. To his credit, Rios got up to continue only to receive even more barrage of body punches and that was the end of it. Experienced referee Tony Weeks ended the fight.

Rios accepted the defeat humbly and announced his retirement. At 29, someone would say that’s too early to retire but there is little left to convince him otherwise. Money he has now plenty to live for the rest of his life. Rios has been in many grueling fights. You see, his style has never been hit and don’t get hit. He got hit a lot in his career. He put many times his health on the line and paid the price.

For Bradley, there is still a story to tell, a new chapter is entering in his career. Who would be next? Some have mentioned his name for Pacquiao’s opponent in April, but I wouldn’t bet on that.

I think Pacquiao will chose an opponent he has never fought before like Amir Khan or Terence Crawford.

So how far this new relationship of Bradley and Atlas can go? Only time will tell, Bradley said to HBO’s Max Kellerman that sky is the limit.

I will add that chemistry is a big factor, if the chemistry sets in nicely, he will stay at the top for longer than expected.

His tendency to prove in each of his fights what he isn’t has turned many of his fights into hell. Atlas is now here to mentor and let him know of his mistakes especially this appetite for self-destruction.

Bradley must not look for a confirmation of his identity but for a victory, exactly like he did with Rios.

Bradley may not be a great fighter but he is definitely a good fighter. That is a fact. That’s where he must focus in.



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