by James Slater – It looks like WBO light-welterweight champion Timothy Bradley will make his next defence against former undisputed lightweight king Nate Campbell on August 1st. Up as happening on BoxRec and being discussed on a number of boxing web sites, the top quality match-up will, if it happens, go out live on Showtime at a venue to be determined. A fine pairing of slick operators, “Desert Storm” against “The Galaxxy Warrior” is a tough fight from which to pick a winner..
In his last fight, back in April, 25-year-old Bradley got off the floor to out-point Kendall Holt in a 140-pound unification bout. Subsequently stripped of the WBC crown he added to his WBO belt with the win over “Rated R” when he would not agree to face Devon Alexander next (who, interestingly, will meet Britain’s Junior Witter for the vacant belt on the same August 1st date) Bradley will now look to make the most of the one title he has left. A win over the 37-year-old Campbell, a commanding win especially, would go some way towards making Bradley the star he wants to be.
Very much wanting to take on the top names, Bradley is not going to get a mega-fight with a Manny Pacquiao this year, so he takes on fellow top-notch, if not mainstream, fighters like Campbell. The proposed August 1st contest may not have the casual fans overly excited, but hardcore fans who know how talented and hard working both Bradley and Campbell are will be sure to tune in.
Campbell, who was beaten by the scales before going into his points win over Ali Funeka last time out in February, will be taking his first bout at 140-pounds, and a potentially hard fight it is, too. But though he will be moving up in weight, the older man will still be the taller fighter, and he will hold a reach advantage also. Bradley is no big puncher, whereas Campbell could bang down at 135. A distance fight looks highly likely in this one.
Both men are slick and fast boxers, and a fascinating chess match is almost certain to be in store for the fans in August. At his age, the well could always run dry on Campbell at any given time. Yet at 33-5-1(25), the man who sensationally upset Juan Diaz last year has not taken too much punishment, nor has Campbell fought at an overly tiring schedule – with the Bradley fight being just his fourth in slightly over two years. Campbell is very well preserved, and as such it would be a shock if he were to grow old before our eyes in this fight.
Still, to my mind Bradley, 24-0(11) must be made a slight favourite. It’s not so much the weight class the fight will be fought at – Campbell moving up is a smart and natural thing for him to do, as opposed to him being an out of shape lightweight – it’s more Bradley’s youth, his huge ambition and his seeming ability to adapt to any style during a fight. Having come on to defeat the man no-one really wants to fight, in Junior Witter, and having regrouped in mid-ring so as to see off Holt last time out, Bradley looks like a fighter who will find a way to beat Campbell.
What can “The Galaxxy Warrior” do to surprise Bradley? If he’s caught early and hurt, Bradley, as he has proven, will be able to come back. If his skills are put to the test by a fellow smart boxer, he will rise to that test also.
August 1st will give us a fine fight of the highest quality and Campbell will certainly win his share of rounds as he brings out the best in the WBO champion. But Bradley’s best against Campbell’s best will result in one, close, winner.
There could be a knockdown along the way, but in the end the 25-year-old will see his hand raised after 12 highly engrossing rounds of boxing.