WBC Light-welterweight Champion Timothy Bradley Added To Casamayor-Marquez Card?

by James Slater: The September 13th Joel Casamayor-Juan Manuel Marquez fight is a good enough event on its own, but, according to BoxRec, the card will also feature the superb Timothy Bradley. Bradley, who won the WBC light-welterweight championship with a points win over Junior Witter back in May, will be a welcome addition to the bill being held at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas..

So far, no opponent has been named as the challenger in what will be “Desert Storm’s” first title defence. But whoever the unbeaten 24-year-old faces, it is a given that Bradley will enter the ring in tip-top, ready to fight shape. A real professional in every aspect, Bradley is not the type of boxer to underestimate any other fighter. It is this attitude that helped him gain his points win over Witter – a boxer many previous opponents of felt was a most beatable foe because of his unorthodox, low held hands style.

Bradley, unlike the over-confident Vivian Harris, for one, didn’t underestimate “The Hitter” in any way shape or form. As a result, the man from Palm Springs, California is today a world champion. At or near the very top of a good, competitive weight division, there are no shortage of potentially thrilling match-ups for Bradley, 22-0(11). Very much wanting either a fight with top dog of the division, Ricky Hatton, or any of the other rival world champions such as Paulie Malignaggi, Bradley could well be featured in some great fights down the road.

Still, it does seem as though most of the fellow elite at 140-pounds have upcoming engagements at present. The aforementioned Hatton and Malignaggi meet in November, as we know, and WBA champ Andreas Kotelnik has a date with Norio Kimura in September. That only leaves new WBO champ Kendall Holt as a reigning belt-holder at light-welterweight who could face Bradley any time soon. It seems, though, that “Rated R” will be otherwise occupied in an expected rubber match with Ricardo Torres – a third fight everyone very much wants to see as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, then, Bradley, for the remainder of this year anyway, could be left wanting for a box office opponent. This will at least give Bradley the opportunity to make some cash and get used to being a world champion as he takes one or two “easy” defences. But sooner or later “Desert Storm” will be involved in some big fights – of that there is no doubt.

Of course, there is an outside chance a big name opponent will be announced as Bradley’s September 13th rival. But with most, if not all, of the top guys at 140 extremely busy, I cannot imagine who this could be. Whoever he fights, it will be good seeing the talented 24-year-old back in action, though. And on the big stage of Las Vegas for the very first time at that.