By Chris Williams: WBO light welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (28-0, 12 KO’s) has been really pouring on the compliments of his June 9th opponent WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KO’s) ever since the 28-year-old Bradley landed the fight with Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

I’m just worried that we won’t be seeing a sparring partners type attitude coming from Bradley when it comes to the fight where he touches gloves before and after every round and hangs on the ropes covering up for 12 rounds like fellow Top Rank fighter Joshua Clottey did when he was given a golden payday bout against Manny in 2010.

Bradley told ESPN “I’m with the best promotional company in the world and I’m sitting pretty, ready to fight the best fighter in the world.”

Gosh, Bradley sounds like he’s really slathering on the compliments something fierce in one of those glad to get the fight type attitudes. He’s calling Top Rank the best promotional company. I wonder if Bradley would be saying this if Pacquiao would suddenly retire? Who would there be for Bradley to fight? Antonio Margarito? You take away Pacquiao, and you got Margarito, Brandon Rios, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Mike Jones, Mike Alvarado, Clottey, Alfonso Gomez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Jose Benavidez and Vanes Martirosyan. With the exception of Marquez, none of those guys are huge stars and they wouldn’t be big fights like Pacquiao. Margarito has already been exposed, Gamboa or Rios will be weeded out after they fight each. One of them will be weeded out, but neither are huge stars in terms of pay per view. Gomez is a fringe welterweight contender, and Benavidez is still working his way up. Martirosyan doesn’t have a huge fan base and is a big junior middleweight. Mike Jones is too big for Bradley and doesn’t have a large fan base. Alvarado fights at light welterweight, but doesn’t have a large fan base. Marquez is about to retire at the end of the year and is only looking to get a fight against Pacquiao after he takes on some obscure Argentinian in his next fight.

I don’t agree with Bradley that Pacquiao is the best fighter in boxing, and that’s not what Bradley was saying before he signed on with Top Rank. I know he’s saying it now, but I think he’s just showing his appreciation for having gotten the payday fight against Pacquiao. I believe Bradley sees Mayweather as the best fighter in boxing, but I don’t expect him to say that now with his big money fight coming up against Pacquiao.