NO FEAR: Undefeated Timothy Bradley is plenty confident going into Saturday night’s fight with Manny Pacquiao (with Bradley at yesterday’s press conference) that he had an oversized ticket made for a mandated rematch should he shock the champion. (
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LAS VEGAS — Timothy Bradley’s obsession with Manny Pacquiao didn’t begin when their fight this Saturday at the MGM Grand was announced last January. It began nearly four years ago, when Bradley was a virtual unknown and Pacquiao was beginning to establish himself as one of the best boxers on the planet.
“For the last four years, I have been studying this guy, looking at this guy,” Bradley said. “I have admired this guy.”
The admiration was for Pacquiao’s skill and tenacity. These are traits Bradley sees in himself and plans to display before a packed crowd and pay-per-view audience when he challenges Pacquiao for the WBO welterweight title. A two-time champion at 140 pounds, Bradley has moved up to 147 and is the latest threat to Pacquiao’s reign as the sport’s best boxer next to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey, Antonio Margarito, Shane Mosley and, most recently, Juan Manuel Marquez have all failed to conquer the Filipino superstar, who has won world titles in six different weight divisions. Still, Bradley is beaming with confidence.
Unbeaten in 28 fights with 12 knockouts, the native of Palm Springs, Calif., doesn’t know defeat and doesn’t expect to experience it Saturday night.
“I’m ready to shock the world,” he said during yesterday’s press conference at the MGM. “I’m ready to do whatever it takes to win this fight. I’m ready.”
Confidence, conditioning and a hard cranium give Bradley, a 4-to-1 underdog as of yesterday, a chance to pull off an upset. If he loses, it won’t be for a lack of trying. It all could change the first time Pacquiao lands a left hook, but going in, Bradley has the kind of hand speed and athleticism that could give Pacquiao (54-3-2, 38 KOs) problems. Bradley, 30, also has a hard head that opponents have said he intentionally uses to cause cuts. Devon Alexander quit in the 10th round of their unification bout last year after being cut by a head butt.
The Pacquiao camp has expressed its concern about potential head butts and Bradley made the rare admission that he’s attempting to alter his style to avoid the fight being marred by head butts. Instead of leaning in and then throwing his punches, Bradley has worked on throwing his punches before coming in with his head.
“No one wants to see the fight end on a head butt,” Bradley said. “I don’t want to leave a bad taste in the mouth of the fans. They pay to see a show.”
Pacquiao, 33, is coming off a lackluster showing in his third fight with Marquez, whose skilled counter-punching and precise timing had the Filipino eating more leather than usual. Pacquiao was awarded a majority decision and later confessed personal and marital problems had him distracted. A renewed devotion to his faith has returned his discipline.
Being focused is not a problem for Bradley.
“I have never seen anyone more focused on getting stuff done than Tim,” said Bradley’s manager, Cameron Dunkin. “He has an incredible work ethic. He eats it, watches it, sleeps it, breathes it. He takes his career more seriously than anyone I have ever seen.’’
Should Bradley win, a rematch clause is already in place for a fight on Nov. 10. That would ruin hopes for a Pacquiao bout with Mayweather any time soon, who is currently in the Clark County (Nev.) jail serving a three-month sentence on a domestic violence charge. Bradley went so far as to have an oversized ticket made for the Nov. 12 fight and presented it to his wife, Monica.
“On June 10, tickets will be on sale for the rematch,” he said.
george.willis@nypost.com