With the poise of a seasoned veteran, Palm Springs, California’s Timothy ‘Desert Storm’ Bradley made the most of his first world title shot Saturday at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England, decisioning highly regarded hometown hero Junior Witter over 12 rounds to win the WBC junior welterweight championship of the world.
Scores were 115-113, 114-113, and 112-115 for Bradley, who used a sixth round knockdown of Witter to help earn the victory.
“This is a dream come true, not only to win a world championship, but to wear the green WBC belt all fighters want to hold,” said Bradley. “I thank Junior Witter for this opportunity, and the judges for rendering a fair verdict even though I was a challenger fighting in the champion’s home country. Witter and I showed what world-class boxing was all about tonight, and I promise that I will hold on to this belt for a long, long time.”
The 24-year old Bradley, a two-time National amateur champion, improved to 22-0 with 11 knockouts in his first pro bout outside of his native California.
“I couldn’t be prouder of Timothy Bradley after this performance,” said Ken Thompson, President of Thompson Boxing Promotions, Bradley’s co-promoter. “His win tonight proved what we’ve been saying about Timothy for years – that he is the best junior welterweight in the world and one of the game’s future superstars.”
Added Gary Shaw, President of Gary Shaw Productions, Bradley’s co-promoter, “I knew when I signed Timothy Bradley that he would be world champion. Bradley’s spectacular work ethic combined with his hunger were the elements that worked tonight. He is a class act with alot of character and good family values that add to his commitment to the sport. It is those attributes that catapulted him into being a champion for such as stellar organization as the World Boxing Council. I am always confident in the WBC’s selection of judges and tonight reaffirms the faith that I have in them.”
A hostile crowd in the beginning received the judges decision with solid applause and appreciation for the new champion in what became a huge upset in boxing.
“I couldn’t have done this without my team, and I can’t wait to see where we go from here,” said Bradley. “Look out world – we’re here.”