Timothy Bradley suffered the first loss of his career this past Saturday at the hands of Manny Pacquiao, and was defeated convincingly in a rematch of their controversial 2012 fight. Pacquiao's win vindicated the sentiments of may fans who felt Pacman was robbed the first time around; that perception complicates Bradley's future.
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Entering the fight he was the consensus No. 3 fighter pound-for-pound in the world. Despite losing, he likely shouldn't tumble down the rankings too far because he lost to a living legend. Still, the perception that he "really" lost the first time, coupled with a sound beating in the second go-round damages him as a main attraction.
As it is, Bradley possesses little power (12 knockouts in 31 victories), doesn't have much in the way of personality, and is disliked by many for the Manny controversy. His defensive, counterpunching style can sometimes lull casual fans to sleep, and although he's brave enough to engage in firefights both Pacquiao and Ruslan Provodnikov proved he greatly increases his chances of losing when he does so.
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It's difficult to say where Bradley goes from here, but it's safe to assume he'll attempt to take on Juan Manuel Marquez again. Marquez is set to face Mike Alvarado on May 17, but Top Rank CEO Bob Arum is rumored to be hoping for a fifth Marquez-Pacquiao bout.
Bradley may wind up taking on the loser of that bout-Alvarado is going to be an underdog in that one, but could be an ideal bounce back candidate for "Desert Storm." Alvarado is an offense-first fighter with a warrior mentality and good skills, but likely not enough to keep up with the world-class defense and quickness of Bradley.
A war with Alvarado could remind fans of Bradley's heart inside the ring and re-establish him as a low-end pay-per-view draw. More likely though, Bradley will be a top HBO headliner for now until he can cement his chops as an action fighter.
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