Timothy Bradley gestures to the crowd during his weigh-in Friday, April 11, 2014, in Las Vegas. AP
MANILA, Philippines—Once an upstart, now one of boxing’s most polarizing figures.
Only fighting once in Las Vegas, considered as the Mecca of Boxing, before his controversial fight against eight-division World champion Manny Pacquiao, Timothy Bradley is now a household name, though arguably not in the best possible way.
Bradley, undoubtedly, is a champion, with a red leather belt around his waist that he took from Pacquiao.
From being an obscure figure in the list of boxing’s elite, Bradley managed to etch his name, though controversially, in the annals of the sport, with two victories over this time’s best welterweights.
The shock that jolted sports
In 2012, Bradley was just a mere shade that wanted to prove to the world that he really was deserving of a title shot against one of the best pound-for-pound boxers of all time in Pacquiao.
At stake: Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization Welterweight title.
From the opening bell of their June 9, 2012 bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Bradley looked like the clear underdog against Pacquiao.
Bradley was on the receiving end of every possible punch that Pacquiao, who was on a 15-fight unbeaten streak, would throw.
Pacquiao weaved and heaved throwing punches to the body and to the face of Bradley who looked as if he was to turn into the blue ghost of the Pacman video game.
Bradley had 14,206 demons chanting against him while the biggest foe of his upstart career was launching his blitzkrieg.
On the later rounds, Bradley had the right decision to avoid the Pacquiao onslaught as he backtracked constantly avoiding any possible knock out opportunity.
Bradley might have had the right decision to back track as the judges looked on a Pacquiao that failed to stop the evasive American.
Shocking the world, the judges gave the fight, and the belt, to Bradley through a controversial split decision, 115-113, 115-113, 113-115.
After the fight, Pacquiao took the defeat, and walked off in gracious fashion, while the new champion sat on his throne, a wheelchair.
Vanquished conqueror
Looking to prove that his win against Pacquiao was no fluke, Bradley was on the ring against another fighter who knocked the Pacman out, Juan Manuel Marquez.
After a brutal fight against Ruslan Provodnikov to retain his WBO Welterweight title on March 16, 2013, Bradley would put his title on the line against the Dynamite.
Back on the deserts of Las Vegas, Bradley faced Marquez on October 12, 2013 in a fight of Pacman’s “conquerors.”
It was the fight that could prove that there could be a new welterweight king not named Pacquiao or Mayweather.
As calculated and technical as the fight went, Bradley managed to jolt Marquez in the lasting seconds of the 12th round.
Staying true to story book fashion, Bradley was raised as the victor in a controversial split decision, 116-112, 115-113, 113-115.
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