By Chris Williams: Tim Bradley (30-0, 12 KO’s) says that one of the many reasons why he chose not to fight a rematch against Manny Pacquiao recently after having beaten him last year by a 12 round split decision was that he knew that if he said yes to the rematch, he would then be facing him in Asia [Macao, China], and he didn’t want to do that.
Instead of fighting Pacquiao in Asia, Bradley opted to face Juan Manuel Marquez (55-6-1, 40 KO’s) on October 15th at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bradley said to the Boxing Channel “I don’t wanna go to Asia. What for? I’m the champion. What do you go to Asia for? I don’t want to fight at 6 a.m. in the morning over there…they weren’t going to give me a lot more money to go over to Asia to fight Pacquiao…After I want this fight [against Marquez], we might sit down and talk, but like I said, I’m not going to Asia.”
I think Bob Arum of Top Rank might not be happy about Bradley not wanting to fight in Asia, because that means a bigger tax slice out of Pacquiao’s earnings if the fight is staged in the United States, and I doubt he’ll say yes to that after he picks up the loot for his November 23rd fight against Brandon Rios in Macao, China.
The tax rate is a lot lower over there for the soon to be 35-year-old Pacquiao compared to when he fights in the U.S, and if Bradley says no to Asia, I can’t see him getting another fight with Pacquiao.
If Pacquiao doesn’t beat Rios on November 23rd, then it probably won’t matter that the Bradley doesn’t want to face Pacquiao in Asia, because that would be Pacquiao’s third straight defeat and that would be a killer blow for his career.
If Bradley beats Marquez and Pacquiao loses to Rios, how is Arum going to arrange a rematch between Pacquiao and Bradley? Pacquiao would be getting a title shot with three straight defeats over more deserving top contenders.
The idea of Pacquiao getting a title shot off of three defeats is bad enough, but to make the fight a pay per view bout, I think it would be a disaster waiting to happen as far as bringing about a lot of criticism and not much in the way of PPV buys compared to Pacquiao’s previous fights.
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