Timothy Bradley entered this fight looking for redemption, he got that, but he was robbed of his victory by the judges ringside.
Bradley took a tough loss to Manny Pacquiao last year and it took a toll on him both mentally and physically. Physically he tore a muscle in his calf which hindered him during that fight and mentally he lost what made him such a great champion, his ability to stay cool & stick to his game plan.
He corrected both aspects tonight against Diego Chaves but didn’t get the win he so desperately needed. The judges ringside felt as though Bradley faded late in the fight and that Chaves did enough to steal rounds.
Against Chaves most people, not the judges obviously, thought he showed that he was 100% healthy and hat he could still be exciting while boxing a smart fight.
He used his hands to open up a cut on the right eye of Chaves early and then used his head to further the damage as the fight went along. A smart tactic which paid off because it allowed him to sneak in overhand lefts from close quarters in later round. Thats what Timothy Bradley is all about. A smart fighter that knows how to use every tool he has to his advantage.
That wasn’t enough to impress the judges ringside but it surely has impressed the boxing fans that tuned in for the fight.
Maybe the Judges were swayed by Timothy Bradley’s face and the punishment it took?
We will never know.
Now the question is who will Tim Bradley fight next? Is he destined for a slew of retried fights such as Marquez or Provodnikov or will he get a new opponent?
Bradley is stuck at 147lbs for now but it’ll be interesting to see whether he’d move up to fight someone such as Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovokin. It’d be another great payday for Bradley and be a must watch for fans that feel that he’s vulnerable to a highlight KO.
Only time will tell but at least for now Timothy Bradley Jr. is back amongst the best welterweights in the world.