Bradley ready for title shot!

May 10, 2008

By Francisco Salazar

Photo: Tom Casino/SHOWTIME

Timothy Bradley has heard it often the last few weeks. That he does not belong in the same ring with world champions and contenders. That he is not deserving of being the number one contender for a sanctioning body.

All of this has brought a chuckle to accompany the affectionate smile that those close to him see. However, in the ring, it is anything but smiles and laughter for the fighter known as the Desert Storm.

Bradley will challenge Junior Witter on tonight for the WBC Junior Welterweight title at Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England.

The bout will be the main event on the popular "ShoBox: The New Generation" series, to be televised on the Showtime network.

It will be an intriguing clash between two fighters with contrasting styles. Witter is the hard-hitting, awkward fighter who attempts to wear his opponents out, while Bradley is the more technical fighter with power in both hands. While Bradley is unbeaten, Witter has not lost a bout in almost eight years, since losing to Zab Judah.

Bradley, (21-0, 11 KO's) from Palm Springs, CA, made his professional debut almost four years ago at a time when Witter was positioning himself for a world title.

As far as positioning himself for a title shot, Bradley was supposed to fight Jose Luis Castillo in March for the opportunity to fight Witter. Unfortunately for all parties, Castillo arrived at the weigh-in a few days before the fight over the weight limit. The fight fell through and the WBC ordered Bradley to be the number one contender.

Now, Bradley will fulfill the dream that most fighters have in fighting for a world title. With most fighters never getting that opportunity, Bradley knows that he must prepare to the fullest. A known gym rat,

Bradley feels that he is the best shape of his life. "I have had a strong six weeks of training for this fight," said Bradley, who will be fighting for the first time professionally outside of the country. He has fought all of his bouts in the state of California.

"I am in better shape now than I was for the Castillo fight. I have worked harder. I have run harder and longer. I have sparred more rounds, sometimes going 10-12 rounds. I incorporate some circuit training, with sit-ups, pull-ups, jumping and lunges for 30-45 minutes. My preparation has been very tough for this fight."

Bradley became a hot prospect in Southern California after stopping his opponents or thoroughly dominating them during the duration of fights. When he needed to step up in class, he did so impressively.

A one-punch knockout over Arturo Urena and a vicious body punch knockout over former contender Alfonso Sanchez quickly turned Bradley from prospect to contender.

Then came a tougher than expected eight round unanimous decision over former world title challenger Jaime Rangel. Bradley then scored convincing decision victories over Manuel Garnica and Donald Camarena and a one-punch knockout over Nasser Athumani.

Bradley understands that he will be in against his toughest and strongest opponent to date. He knows that Witter will be at his best to defend his title.

Still, Bradley feels that there are some holes in Witter's arsenal that he could expose and have his hand raised after the fight.

"I know that he has a couple of good wins on his record. He has fought decent opposition. He has fought a lot of guys from the UK. It looks like he has one-punch knockout power, but he has knockouts on his records due to an accumulation of punches."

"I know he might do his crazy antics in the ring and try to throw me off. I just want to stay focused and back him down. I can't get caught up in his BS. I know I'm fast and I could catch him when he has his hands down."

Most fighters want to stay active in preparation for a big fight. Fighting a tune up fight keeps the fighter active and focused for the next fight.

Bradley on the other hand has not fought in almost a year, when he won a 10 round unanimous decision over Miguel Vazquez in July. Despite the long layoff, Bradley stated that he is not worried and will be sharp in preparation for Witter.

"I am not worried at all. It hasn't even crossed my mind actually. There are world champions that fight once a year. My preparation and focus will get me through. It is basically how you are in the gym and the work you put in. I have sparred over a hundred rounds for this fight."

While this will be Bradley's first time fighting outside of the country, Witter has fought most of his fights in his native country. Of his 39 professional fights, Witter has fought only four times outside of the United Kingdom.

Fighters hesitate to fight other fighters in their hometowns or countries because of the perception that judges will score close rounds in favor of the "house" fighter. However, Bradley is over that idea and feels that he will get a fair shake on Saturday night.

"I block all that stuff out. I just have to go out there and do my thing. I am confident that I will fight a good fight and give him hell. I place my faith in God and He knows what the decision is going to be. I do hope to get a fair shot."

Bradley has had the fortune of being promoted by Gary Shaw and by his original promoter, Thompson Boxing Promotions.

Having both in his corner has meant exposure and has allowed him to build his career. Bradley knows that without the two, his career would not be where it is at today.

"Thompson Boxing Promotions is a great promotions company. They are a classy company. People think they are small-time, but they put on the best shows. They are organized, fair, and honest. Gary has invested in me and believes in me. He is a great promoter in his own right."

Being with the right promoters is one thing. Having exposure to television is another. Bradley has fought three times on television, all on Showtime. The popular channel has used fighters on the ShoBox series to build up exposure and victories to line them up with a title shot.

Bradley is one of those fighters and hopes to also follow in the footsteps as Kermit Cintron and Robert Guerrero have done. Bradley has nothing but good to say about the series that began in 2001.

"ShoBox is the bomb. I thank them for putting me on. The Rangel fight was tough, where I did not look good as I wanted to. Showtime gave me another chance. It has definitely boosted my career. It's great for newcomers. It's great for the fans. I want them to see me win a world title."

Although his focus is on Witter, Bradley feels destined to accomplish more in the sport before he retires. He acknowledges being blessed with talent and athletic abilities to move in the right direction.

"I want to thank my family, promotions, my management. Especially God. He has given me everything. I have worked hard to get where I am at. I hope it all leads to winning the title. I want to be a legend. Someone who fight fans remember down the road."

Nothing would bring a smile more to him than to bring a title home around his waist. When all is said and done, Bradley hopes that after the fight he hears that he was deserving of a title shot.