Sometimes in boxing, when the fight does not go as planned, it’s the best thing that can happen to you. Never was that more true then when undefeated WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley faced Ruslan Provodnikov last Saturday night (16th of March). The fight saw the champion stunned at various points during the fight and seemingly on the verge of being knocked out. After regaining momentum, the 12th round saw him once again in trouble, and forced to take a knee and managing to survive the bout. Bradley went on to take a close unanimous decision, and having showed heart and determination in the bout he walked out of the ring with more fans and respect in the boxing world then he had before. During the 187th edition of “On The Ropes” I had a chance to discuss the fight in great detail with Tim, and get his thoughts on why he believes he had the struggles he did. I also got his view on a potential rematch with Provodnikov and shuold the opportunity presents itself, would he be interested in facing Juan Manuel Marquez? Here is what Tim had to say…
Jenna Jay: First thing Tim, you had a heck of a fight last Saturday, how are you feeling today?
Timothy Bradley: Each day I’m getting better and better and a little stronger. The day after the fight I was real sore, but every day I’m getting my strength back. I’m feeling better and I can’t wait to get back training again.
Jenna: Tim you said after the fight that you believed that you had a concussion, did you have yourself all checked out and what did they find?
Bradley: I had a CT scan, and I’m not sure if you can tell if you had a concussion looking at one of those, but one of the doctors said I didn’t have a concussion and another said I did. I’ve had several concussions during my years of boxing so I know when I’m a little bit out of it. I don’t know what happened in the fight, I pretty much had to go and review the film, and there was some point where I was like “I did not even know I did that” Particularly in the 6th round, I did not know that I sat against the ropes and exchanged with him, and afterwards I’m standing in my corner yelling at him, I don’t know what I said, but I don’t recall doing that at all. So I took some big punches in the fight and it comes with the territory. Ruslan was a big big puncher and I took some big shots during the fight and you got to pay the price for that.
Jenna: In the second round of that fight, you were firing shots while you were out on your feet. How do you think you managed to get out of that round?
Bradley: Honestly, I’m not even sure how I survived that round. When I looked at it on tape I was like “Wow that’s bad” I’ve always said, if I’m going to go out, I’m going to go out swinging. For some reason I was out exchanging with this guy. I guess I was trying to take him out, to set the bar high and basically prove myself to everyone that I’m a true fighter, that I earn every win I get and show something different. The game plan was to box. That was the whole game plan all camp. But for some reason I wanted to trade with this guy and it was the worst thing I could do cause he’s a big puncher and he timed me very well. But with my will to win and determination, it’s going to take a guy to really hurt me in the ring or kill me, cause I’m not going to do down without a fight at all.
Jenna: Well besides a moment in the sixth round, you boxed pretty well during the fight until the final round where you ran into some trouble. What was the plan going into the final round?
Bradley: The plan was to stay away from him in the last round. I was winning the fight according to my trainers, and they wanted me to box him. I was tired! I mean I can run around as long as I possibly can, but I was exhausted. My legs were gone and my head was not all there, I was basically going on auto pilot. I started exchanging with him in the last round, I was getting the best of him and then all of a sudden I get clipped, I staggered back. At that point he was landing some big shots back to back, back to back and I’m like oh man, if I don’t take this knee this guy might catch me and I might go out completely. I took that knee when he started to bring on that pressure so I could recover, and once I took that knee I basically survived that round.
Jenna: Let’s talk about the decision, were you worried that it may not go your way cause of how the final round went?
Bradley: Nah, I knew I was going to get the decision. I talked to my trainer after the fight and he was like, you are way ahead on the cards and I talked to a few other people and they were like you won this fight without a doubt. I felt I did enough during the middle rounds to build a lead on the score cards and we ended up winning the fight by one point, which was great. I felt like this fight was a new beginning for me. I felt I was finally able to show people what I was made of. I needed the right guy, the right fight and Provodnikov was a tough, tough guy and I got a little bit out of my element trying to knock this guy out. I did not follow the game plan and for whatever reason why I didn’t, it made for one hell of a fight and I’m happy the fans enjoyed it, I’m happy that it was a great night for boxing. This is what we get paid to do, we get paid to entertain and that was definitely an entertaining fight and I’m just happy to be a part of it and Ruslan should be happy as well.
Jenna: Tim, people have been wondering about one thing regarding this fight. You had to drop 40lbs in the training camp for this, and in the fight it seemed that every punch you were hit with, hurt you. Do you think the weight loss effected your ability to take shots in this fight?
Bradley: Yeah, without a doubt. Losing that weight those 2 months, 43 pounds in 2 months was too terrible. It was a tough tough training camp, and a majority of the training camp was spent on technique and losing weight. It was hard, I’m not going to lie. I’m going to be 30, and I was 40lbs over weight for like 8 months, so the weight was just like stuck on. I remember being stressed out the last 2 weeks of training camp, I was like 163lbs, 20 pounds overweight. That last 2 weeks of training camp was hard, I had to switch up everything. I had to switch up my diet, I had to take in smaller calories and had to up my protein to get the water out. I had to do what I had to do. I had lost 10 pounds like in a week and the week of the fight I had to lose like another 7.
I knew I was going to have problems taking a shot before I even got in the ring. I knew right away. My wife the night before, we talked and I said “this fight is going to be ugly” she knew, because of the weight. I said I was going to win the fight, but it was going to be an ugly fight. The weight and the diet change definitely was the reason I probably could not take a shot. I took a shot from Pacquiao, I was able to take it no problem, but I was completely hydrated, I was not depleted. It was a tough tough training camp, 2 months to drop 43lbs, especially getting ready for a fight, that’s just rough.
Jenna: Tim, a lot of people are wondering what’s next for you after this fight. Do you want to fight Ruslan Provodnikov again or do you want to take on somebody different like Juan Manuel Marquez?
Bradley: I don’t really care, at this point I really don’t care who I fight, I just want to fight the best out there. Fighting Ruslan again, it’s all up to my promoter, him and my manager, I have the last say but if that’s something that interests them and they wanna do it again and they think it will do good numbers and sell really good then why not? We’ll do it again, I don’t have a problem, but I’ll tell you this much, the second time around wont be like the first, at all. Ruslan will be the same fighter, he’ll come forward, he’ll probably will be a little bit more aggressive, he knows he has to be in better shape because I come in tremendous shape. But the thing is, I’m not gonna stand there and fight him, I’m just going to out box him now. So the second time around the fight wont even be interesting anymore because when I boxed him, it was easy, it was completely easy. It’s just when I stood there at certain times with him and exchanged with him, that’s when I got hurt. So if I just box, and I will. I will just outbox him, cause I wouldn’t be stupid the second time around, and it wouldn’t even be a competitive fight.
Jenna: Alright, well I actually had the chance to talk with Ruslan Provodnikov before I talked to you on the phone and he said, after a fight like that he wonders whether or not you’ll be the same in your next fight, and I have to wonder from your perspective, do you think this type of fight makes you stronger going into your next bout or do you think it takes something out of you?
Bradley: This fight definitely took something out of me, without a doubt. Fights like this take something out of you, but the thing is I showed my heart, I showed what I’m about and nothing’s gonna stop me, nothing’s gonna stop me from doing what I need to do. I’m willing to die in the ring to get that victory. Regardless of what anybody thinks, I’m gonna come back the same, hungry, determined and ready to win, like always. So people can say I wont be the same yada yada yada, we gotta wait and see because I’m not gonna be scared to throw shots, I’m not gonna be shell shocked because Ruslan Provodnikov hit me hard, this is the hurt business, it’s the business that we’re in. If you’re scared to be in the kitchen then get out, and I’m not scared, I’m not scared at all. Whoever I fight, they’re going to be in for it, it doesn’t really matter who I fight. I’m at a point in my career that I’ve already accomplished a lot of goals, I’ve done a lot in my career and there’s no point of me now of picking and choosing. Anybody that makes sense, lets do it, why not? So I’m taking on all comers, whoever they say, bring it on, I don’t care.
Jenna: Well if a rematch does not happen, the bout people would most like to see, would be a fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. How natural is that fight at this point?
Bradley: I don’t know, I said I’d fight anybody. If Marquez wants to do it, we can do it. It’s not up to me, cause I’m going to say yeah. I’m going to say sure, let’s do it. It’s not up to me, it’s up to them. Right at this moment Marquez is eye balling a Pacquiao rematch, more money, yada yada yada whatever. I guess they got unfinished business, so definitely he’s going to be eye balling that. But I know one thing, I’m not waiting for Marquez to make a decision. I’m doing my own thing, so if he wants to wait it out and do this and do that, he can be my guest. But I’m going on with my plan and my plan only and if he wants to be part of my plan he needs to go with my plan. Period.
Jenna: Tim, how soon do you think we could actually see you back in a boxing ring?
Bradley: Maybe about 4 or 5 months at the latest. I’m going to rest this week and then I’m going to see a specialist out in Vegas. After I see the specialist, then I will be able to make my decision based on what that specialist tells me.
Jenna: Final question Tim. After the fight you had, you gained so many new fans. What does it mean to have this new found support in you career.
Bradley: It just mean a lot to me, and this is what I have been working for my whole career. A lot of new fans have definitely come on board and it’s good for me, it’s good for business and I just hope that they continue to follow me and I was just glad I was able to inspire them.
***Special thanks goes out my friend Ruben for helping me to bring this article to the boxing readers.
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