Bradley: I don’t need to chase anyone, I’m the champ

By Boxing News - 08/18/2012 - Comments

Image: Bradley: I don't need to chase anyone, I'm the champBy Chris Williams: WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley is in a great position right now. He just beat Manny Pacquiao, and he’s got the Filipino’s World Boxing Organization 147 pound title in his possession. Bradley, 28, figures that’s enough to either land him a rematch against Pacquiao, and if not then a big fight against one of the other top fighters in boxing like Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The one thing that Bradley won’t do is grovel and chase after Pacquiao to try and get a big money rematch. Bradley doesn’t need to do that because he after all has Pacquiao’s former WBO title, and he’s got the win over Pacquiao in his last fight to strengthen his hand.

Bradley told RingTV “I don’t need to chase anyone. I’m the champ. So everybody wants my spot.”

Bradley is right. He’s got the belt, he’s got the win over Pacquiao, and he’s the guy that people want to fight at welterweight, aside from Mayweather and Pacquiao. If Pacquiao doesn’t want to try and avenge his loss to Bradley, then Bradley will move ahead and likely fight someone like Mayweather.

Bradley said to RingTV “I’m not sure he [Pacquiao] wants to fight me any more or not…I’m too high risk for these dudes, man.”

I think Bradley is 100 percent correct. Pacquiao has now been beaten once by Bradley, but if he takes another loss to him it will really hurt Pacquiao in terms of the money split he can get against Mayweather in their big mega fight next year. Right now, Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum will likely still be angling to get a 50-50 deal with Mayweather despite Pacquiao having lost his last fight. However, if Pacquiao gets beaten a second time by Bradley, then a 50-50 deal with Mayweather isn’t going to happen. We’d then be taking 65-35 for Mayweather, and Pacquiao would have to be happy with the smaller slice of the pie.



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