Timothy Bradley: “No one’s really stood there and actually fought Manny Pacquiao the way I did. I actually went after him and actually hurt him”

The welterweight division has been a hotbed in boxing for many years now, with the top stars of the sport competing in and around that weight class. One of the top fighters in the division is former WBO welterweight champ, Timothy ‘Desert Storm’ Bradley. Timothy recently lost his undefeated record to Manny Pacquiao, but he is still a force to be reckoned with at 147lbs, and has the skills to reclaim a title belt in the future.

In part 2 of my interview with Tim Bradley, I get his thoughts on whether he believes a fifth Pacquiao-Marquez fight will have drug testing to clear all the doubts surrounding Marquez. Bradley also looks back to his rematch with Manny Pacquiao and talks about the injury he suffered and what was the reason behind his strategy on fight night. Lastly, ‘Desert Storm’ gives some insight on his future plans and when he want to make his return to the ring. Here is what Timothy Bradley had to say.

Jenna J: Because of the way Marquez looked last time out, people are questioning what is behind his recent performances. Do you think if Pacquiao and Marquez fight again, that they should have drug testing for that fight?

Timothy Bradley: Well I know Manny in his last two fights — including my fight — has had drug testing involved in his matches. I don’t think there will be any differences. Freddie Roach is no dummy either, he’s a smart trainer. I believe if there was a fifth fight that there will be drug testing for the fight.

Jenna: Tim, you had the rematch with Manny Pacquiao. I was watching the fight and I thought you were winning early, then there was a change in the fight. What was it that caused you to change what you were doing early?

Bradley: Well I suffered an injury in the fight that I really didn’t want to talk about after the fact because I really didn’t want to take anything away from Manny, he fought brilliantly in the fight. I suffered an injury and it was tough to deal with.

I tore my calf in two different places. It was horrible, it’s actually a pretty severe injury — I didn’t think it was at the time, it hurt like hell when I was moving around in the ring and trying to do my best.

I gave it my all and the tides shifted after about the 6th. I got a little fatigued, I don’t know why, it could be from the injury. I talked a doctor and he said, “Yeah that can cause you to get tired, because you’re battling an injury.” I was winging some shots early on, so that can be the cause of me being fatigued as well.

It’s just how the cookie crumbled that night, I gave it my all, I gave it 100%, I was going for the knockout. I felt like I needed a knockout to win the fight, and after hearing one of the scorecards, I did need a knockout (laughs). They had me only winning two rounds, I thought that was hilarious. I thought the fight was a lot closer than that — granted I felt Manny beat me. I just felt the fight was a lot closer than some of the judges had it.

Jenna: Being the fact that you’ve gotten injured in the two fights with Pacquiao, do you feel that there’s unfinished business between you two?

Bradley: I know what happened that night. Manny fought brilliantly, he did what he had to do, he beat me. I know exactly what happened that night and I know I’d have been a lot better off if I was healthy, if no injuries had occurred.

Later in the fight, what typically happens is; I was really aggressive early on because I wanted to change the gameplan up because I know Freddie was anticipating on me boxing and moving, so they were gonna chase me. The fact that I actually went at him and the fact that I was throwing hard shots at him, they had to alter their gameplan a little bit early on, and it surprised them because they didn’t think I was gonna do that.

I just feel that if I was 100%, later in the fight I would have been able to move in and out on him, I would have been able to box him. I don’t take away what I did, because I said I was gonna go for the knockout.

There’s a part of me that thinks if I would have been able to outbox him in the later rounds, I think I would have had a better chance at winning the fight, and I think it would have been really close in the end. But going in there with the mindset that I had to knock him out, I felt like I truly had to do that in order to get the victory over Manny Pacquiao, because of the controversy.

Jenna: What made you feel that you had to knock Pacquiao out?

Bradley: I just really wanted to just leave a mark and make a statement that night. I would have been satisfied with actually outboxing him and winning the fight, but the fans would have really missed out and would have lost out.

I really wanted to make an impact on not only Pacquiao, but also for the fans. A lot of people really appreciated what I did — no one’s really stood there and actually fought Manny Pacquiao the way I did. I actually went after him and actually hurt him, and landed some big shots on him in the fight.

Fans really appreciated what I did and they got their money’s worth. In the Marquez fight I outboxed him and the fight was a little dull, but the fact that I actually went at Pacquiao and actually did what I said I was gonna do — try to go for this knockout — the fans really appreciated it and if the fans are satisfied with it, I’m satisfied with the way I performed that night.

Jenna: What is next for you? When do you think you’re gonna be getting back in the ring again?

Bradley: Well, I’m still in the recovery process right now. I think within the next 2 weeks I will start therapy on my calf. I am out of the cast now, but it’s still a couple more weeks before I actually be starting therapy. I’m planning on coming back in November sometime. It just depends on how things go with my recovery.

Jenna: Any opponents that you’re looking at, any possible fights?

Bradley: I don’t really have any particular fight in mind. I just want to say that I want to fight the best, I don’t want to be downgrading. I’m still in a top level of boxing, regardless of how they have me rated or where I’m at. I feel like I belong at the top, I feel like I’m one of the best fighters in the world still today, top 5.

I just want to come back, I want to come back strong. I want a great challenge, a tough challenge, I want to fight the best fighters they have in the world, plain and simple. No particular name, no particular order, but if people consider a fighter to be one of the best fighters in the world and he’s in my weight class, I want to see them.