By James Slater – 27-year-old Timothy “Desert Storm” Bradley, now 27-0(11) and the holder of both the WBC and WBO titles at 140-pounds, is already eager for his next big fight. Whether it’s against Amir Khan, Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao, the warrior from Palm Springs is ready to further prove his worth.
Fresh off Saturday’s unification win over the previously unbeaten Devon Alexander, Bradley very kindly took the time to speak with me on a number of subjects earlier today.
Here is what the always-fantastically conditioned champion had to say:
James Slater: It’s always a pleasure to be able to speak with you, Champ. I know you’ve done a lot of interviews the last few days….
Tim Bradley: Oh, no problem, the more interviews the better!
J.S: Looking back on the Devon Alexander fight now, five days on, are you happy with your performance? What would you give yourself out of ten?
T.B: Style-wise, I could’ve done a bit better. Devon has a very defensive style, he’s hard to hit flush – and I’m hard to hit flush.. I came to fight, I pressed the action all night, but he tried to out-box me. It wasn’t pretty at all; he tied me up, he tried to move, he wouldn’t allow me to work. But I was in control the whole night. Overall, I’d give myself a three out of ten. It wasn’t at all exciting and I expected more fireworks myself. But I did what I had to do; winning is the bottom line. The thing is, there are many more fights out there for me. This fight had to happen, as sort of an elimination at 140-pounds. Amir Khan fought Marcos Maidana and now Khan and I have to fight.
J.S: Talking of Amir Khan, he was the studio guest on the U.K showing of your win over Alexander, and he said that as much as he respects you as a champion and as strong as you are, he sees something of a straightforward night against you, in that he will let you attack and then counter; with right uppercuts especially. What do you say to that, Tim?
T.B: Well, put it this way: Devon Alexander normally throws between 80 and a hundred punches a round in a fight. Against me he was down to 45 to fifty punches a round. If Khan thinks he can hit me with all that stuff he hit Maidana with, he’s got to be kidding! No way he catches me with all those shots; I have one of the best defences in boxing. You have to face me in the ring to find out. You see, 27 people have seen me fight and those 27 people thought from what they saw that they could beat me – but all 27 guys failed. I may not do one thing really really well, but I do everything well. I can box and I can brawl. I can adapt in the ring. Khan cannot adjust. There’s only one thing Khan can do, and that’s box. He may think he can try that right uppercut, but the thing is, he will be so afraid of throwing it he won’t throw it that much. I may not look spectacular, but I will beat Khan! I will beat him. It won’t be an easy fight, I know that. He does have tremendously fast hands and he’s always in condition, but I’ve seen his weaknesses and I will exploit them in the ring.
J.S: We all really hope that fight happens. Khan also said on Saturday night that he’d heard you say you would come to the UK for the fight, and that he wants it here, for the English fans. Are you still willing to come to the UK to fight him?
T.B: It all comes down to dollars and cents. I will fight anywhere, anytime, any place. I’m not scared to fight in the UK – I have lots of fans over there. He may be the bigger draw over there but I’m a two-time champion. We’d have to have a happy medium to have the fight over there. But the thing is, will HBO be willing to go over there for that fight? I think it will be on U.S soil.
J.S: Is Khan the guy you’d most like next, or would you prefer Floyd Mayweather, once his legal issues are resolved – or Manny Pacquiao?
T.B: Ideally, I want to fight the ultimate, top guys. If Mayweather was an option for me I’d pick that fight over one with Khan. But Khan may be my only option, unless I can get Manny [Pacquiao]. I’d pick Manny over Khan. The fight with Khan is important, in that fans will stop asking who the best 140-pounder in the world is after that fight. Everyone will know who the best is at 140. You know, some people give me a hard time, saying I don’t look spectacular, but I’m fighting the best. I’m fighting guys who have never lost. The other guys [in the 140-pound division] are fighting guys who have lost already. It’s easier to look good against a guy who has tasted defeat before. Against a guy has never lost, who doesn’t know how to lose, you have to teach them how to lose – you have to disappoint them and tell them that it’s not gonna be their night. You have to show them how to lay down! And Khan will lay down. He’s tasted defeat before, so when it gets tough in there against me, he will lay down. I’ll always have an edge over him because I haven’t lost. Khan is going to have to teach me how to lose, but that’s going to be real tough – I don’t take no for an answer. I’ve never taken the easy path. I’ve fought three unbeaten guys, with a combined record of 77-0 (Lamont Peterson, Luis Abregu, Alexander). I always look to fight the best.
J.S: No doubt, Tim. Can I just ask you, does a fight with Zab Judah interest you, if he beats Kazier Mabuza for the IBF belt?
T.B: Zab Judah…..he’s not on my radar at all. I’m not interested. That IBF belt, that’s mine anyway. Devon was stripped of that belt, and if that hadn’t happened, I’d have it now. Nobody’s talking about Zab Judah.
J.S: Well, fingers crossed you get the big fight with Khan – if Khan hasn’t lost his April 16th fight of course!
T.B: Win, lose or draw, I’ll still fight Khan. I don’t think he’s going to lose in April; the latest I heard was he’ll be fighting Junior Witter?
J.S: That’s what we hear, Tim. And you know all about Witter, of course! But he said he couldn’t make 140 anymore and now he’s saying he can. I don’t know what he has left. Witter hasn’t fought since he quit against Devon in 2009.
T.B: I think Khan will blow him out of the water.
J.S: It’s been great speaking with you Tim, as always. Does it feel good to be a two-time WBC champion?
T.B: It feels good to be WBC champion again. And the WBO; they’ve been very understanding and loyal to myself. I know the WBC will do the same now, they respect me as champion, as a warrior. I’m very happy to have both belts and I can’t wait to defend them both. We’re gonna make this work.