NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND (May 10, 2008) — Photo by Tom Casino / Showtime – There’s a new sheriff in Nottingham and his name is TIMOTHY “DESERT STORM” BRADLEY! The undefeated Bradley from Palm Springs, California, entered the ring at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham, England tonight as the No. 1 contender and mandatory challenger and exited it as the new World Boxing Council (WBC) super lightweight champion. Bradley (22-0, 11 KOs), promoted by Gary Shaw Productions and Thompson Boxing Promotions, won a superb 12-round split decision on scores of 115-113, 114-113, 112-115. He turned the tide near the end of the sixth round, smashing an overhand right to the jaw of defending champion Junior Witter (36-2-1, 21 KOs), en route to dethroning Witter in his third defense of the crown he has held since 2006.
“I knew this fight was mine,” the newly crowned 24-year-old champion told SHOWTIME, which broadcast the fight to the U.S. on its popular program ShoBox: The New Generation. “I’ve seen the tapes [of Witter’s past fights], and he fades in the sixth and seventh. And I know that’s when I come on. I get stronger in the later rounds..
“I have been working on that punch,” said Bradley of the overhand right that dropped Witter. “He tends to pull back with his chin up in the air and I just caught him. But I couldn’t finish him. I had to be careful in there. He’s got power in both hands.”
“This can be considered an early candidate for upset of the year,” said renowned ShoBox analyst Steve Farhood. “It is so difficult to win a world title on the road. And to do it with as little experience as Bradley has, this was something special. That one-punch knockdown in the sixth proved to be the difference maker in the fight.”
A hometown Witter crowd, that was hostile to Bradley in the beginning, received the judges’ decision with solid applause and appreciation for the new champion in what became a huge upset in boxing.
“I knew when I signed Timothy Bradley that he would be world champion,” said Gary Shaw, Bradley’s co-promoter. “Bradley’s spectacular work ethic combined with his hunger were the elements that worked tonight. He is a class act with a lot of character and good family values that add to his commitment to the sport. It is those attributes that catapulted him into being a champion for such as stellar organization as the World Boxing Council. I am always confident in the WBC’s selection of judges and tonight reaffirms the faith that I have in them.”
“I could not be prouder of Timothy Bradley after this performance,” said Ken Thompson, President of Thompson Boxing Promotions, Bradley’s co-promoter. “His win tonight proved what we have been saying about Timothy for years – that he is the best junior welterweight in the world and one of the game’s future superstars.”
If you missed Saturday’s exciting telecast, catch the replay on SHOWTIME.
Monday, May 12 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime Extreme; Tuesday, May 13 at Midnight on Showtime Extreme; and anytime at SHOWTIME On Demand beginning Tuesday, May 13.