On October 12th Timothy Bradley will make his return to boxing's big stage against Juan Manuel Marquez, in what will be his first major event as a headliner since controversially beating Manny Pacquiao in June of 2012.
Bradley was widely considered to have been battered by Pacquiao that night, but managed to win a heavily disputed split decision. The backlash turned what should have been a career-making victory into a source of depression, causing him to turn down fights and stay out of the ring for nearly a year. When he returned, he took on little-known Ruslan Provodnikov.
Against Provodnikov, Bradley eschewed his normal style of cautious boxing and chose to brawl, nearly getting knocked out several times. He ultimately won a unanimous decision and won back many fans.
"I felt at the time, I wasn't ready to go back to the Pacquiao fight. After the Pacquiao fight, I was in the dark (with the public). After the Ruslan Provodnikov fight, I was in the light. I want to stay in the light," Bradley said.
Now, with Marquez on the slate, Bradley feels a win on the 12th will create a long-lasting legacy. "Both Pacquiao and Marquez are Hall Of Fame fighters. I want both those names."
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said that both fighters decided against rematches with Pacquiao to face each other because of the legacy factor. Fighting Manny would've likely been more lucrative for both fighters.
"Money isn't everything," Arum said. "And let's face it; it's not like they're nor fighting for peanuts. Legacy is important for Timothy and Juan Manuel. Timothy wants Marquez' scalp. Marquez wants to be the first to win world titles in five weight classes."
Bradley also said that his purse for another fight with Pacquiao didn't jibe with the added inconveniences that came with that offer. "There's two things. Going to China is one. The money wasn't substantially out of this world to go to China. Two, Marquez is 40 and on his way out of the game. I felt I could beat him three years ago. I wanted a crack at him before he gets out of the game."
Also, if Bradley defeats Marquez he can further mask the stench of the bad decision vs. Pacman. Pacquiao is taking on Brandon Rios in November, with designs on a flashy knockout. If both walk away with wins, a higher-profile rematch is likely around the corner.
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