By Cliff Rold

For three rounds on Saturday night at the Agua Caliente Casino in Rancho Mirage, California, 25-year old WBO Jr. Welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley (26-0, 12 KO) of nearby Palm Springs was the faster and stronger man but he couldn’t conclusively know whether he would have stayed that way as a controversial call led to what will be lasting dispute.  A nasty cut to the left eyebrow of Tampa, Florida’s 37-year old former Lightweight titlist Nate Campbell (33-6-1, 25 KO) forced the bout stopped before the fourth and the cause of the cut was the topic of all conversation.  For now, Bradley stands a victorious via third-round technical knockout but there will be much debate before the verdict can be viewed as concrete.

Overshadowed in all the post-fight arguments was what had been a fast paced and entertaining outing where Bradley shined for most of the completed nine minutes.  While the business of boxing could prevent any imminent showdown, Bradley’s performance furthered his status as the number one contender to lineal World Jr. Welterweight Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KO) and hinted at a showdown which could someday be a classic.

Bradley and Campbell both entered the ring below the division limit of 140 lbs., Bradley at 139 and Campbell at 138 ½. 

The difference in each man’s approach to battle was evident before the opening bell, Bradley bouncing in his corner while Campbell stoically rocked side to side.  The temperaments further showed in the first ninety seconds, Campbell applying measured jabs and landing a stiff right while Bradley shuffled shots to the body complimented by looping rights.  Talking trash to the younger man, Campbell stalked forward, absorbing a flurry and shaking his head as if to say no damage had been done by a flush Bradley right prior to the bell.

Each man fired short hooks in an early second round clinch before Bradley stepped out and let loose more landing blows to the ribs.  A clash of heads brought a warning from referee David Mendoza but the action was unaffected as both men returned to the inside.  Bradley got the better of it, catching the eye with a quick left hook before again stepping out and pumping the jab.  In the final thirty seconds, the fighters were again at close quarters with Bradley’s speed and activity holding the edge.

Campbell opened the third with a pair of jabs and a hard right but the advantage swung quickly.  Stepping into the corner and complaining of a head butt, Campbell left himself open to a charging Bradley.  Pinning the former titlist down, with blood flowing from a cut opened over Campbell’s left eye, Bradley’s hands were a blur as he worked Campbell upstairs and down.  Even after escaping the corner, Campbell could find no escape from a relentless Bradley.  Abusing Campbell’s body, Bradley trapped him on the ropes, hurting Campbell with a right hand and keeping him hurt as Campbell weaved and slipped in pursuit of survival.

He made it out of the round but what commenced from there was the story of the fight.  Campbell walked into his corner stating more than once, “I can’t see.”  It appeared his cut man tried to tell Campbell he could work on it but Campbell reached up, touched the cut man’s chest, eye wide while he shook his head, and again repeated that he couldn’t see.  The ring doctor came to the corner where Campbell said he was seeing spots.  After a quick exchange of words, the doctor announced “we’re done” and Bradley’s corner went wild with celebration.

The fireworks were just getting started. 

Under the bout rules, a cut caused by an accidental head butt would have resulted in a “No Contest” with the bout stopped before four rounds had been completed.  The dispute arose over how Mendoza had ruled, and Mendoza stated he’d ruled the cut caused by a punch meaning a stoppage win for Bradley.  Campbell argued vociferously with the ring doctor, referee, and commissioners after the outcome was revealed to him, screaming “This is wrong.” 

Replays seemed to confirm a violent head clash had caused the cut but, reviewing those replays, referee David Mendoza did not agree.  “They both were head butting each other as they were fighting.  When the last head butt, when they touched heads, and (Campbell) pulled back to throw a punch, after (Bradley) hit him with a punch, the blood started coming out.”  Replays showed a short right uppercut landing on the eyebrow split seconds after the butt and Mendoza stated, “That’s when I was watching him so I have to go by the last thing I saw, which was a punch.”

Before commenting on the conclusion, the victorious Bradley took a moment for spiritual reflection.  “First of all, I want to give all the glory and honor to God.  The Lord Jesus, we prevailed once again.  He showed his face in here once again and I was the victorious one again.”  Returning to the fight, Bradley stated of the head butt, “I don’t know.  I was just in there fighting.  I felt our heads collide and then I seen him get the cut but, you know what, I attacked…the ref was doing his job…as the rounds kept going, (Campbell) was getting older and older in there.”

Campbell, who was headed to the hospital for stitches, remained furious in post-fight interviews.  “Show the replay.  Of all the fighters in boxing, I’m the only one that has fought everyone put in front of me.  I’ve never complained about a decision.  I’ve always took my lumps like a man.  Tonight, when he head butted me the first time, he said okay.  The second time, when he head butted me, the camera caught it.  The ref said it was a head butt.”  Further review of the replay showed Mendoza pointing to ringside but what he was saying was unclear.  With his promoter, Don King, agreeing in the background, Campbell continued.  “I shouldn’t have a TKO on my record.  It’s wrong…(the eye’s) still bothering me.  I got spots in my eye now.” 

Campbell further stated the fight should have been ruled a “No Decision” and, as he exited the ring, pointed at Bradley and said, “It’s up to you as the fighter to stand up and say what’s right and what’s wrong.”

Asked after Campbell had left how the result should have been ruled, Bradley looked a bit shell shocked.  “I don’t know.  I really don’t know what’s going on.  I’m in here doing my job.  I’m taking care of my business in the ring.  Whatever…he has with the referee, that’s not my job.  That’s not my problem.  His promoter needs to do whatever he needs to do to try and reverse the decision or whatever.  It didn’t even matter.  He was gonna’ get beat tonight anyways.”

Asked if he would be willing to give Campbell a rematch to settle the issue, Bradley sounded more than willing.  “Why not?  Why not?  It’s gonna’ be the same outcome.  That’s easy work.  He’s too slow, too heavy footed.  I’ll move all day on him.  All day.”

Dispute then turned to the promoters, with Bradley promoter Gary Shaw opining that Campbell could have continued while King stood in defense of the departed Campbell, the wheels spinning for a return engagement.  Campbell, who suffered a frustrating layoff after a career best title victory over Juan Diaz in 2008, was unable to make the 135 lb. Lightweight limit in his only fight since, losing his belts on the scale but still winning a tough non-title scrap with Lightweight contender Ali Funeka in February of this year.  Bradley had the final say on the night, weighing in that he’d be willing to head to Campbell’s native Florida for a rematch.  Campbell would almost certainly welcome such a turn of good fortune.   

Before Bradley can make the trip, a likely layover will come in the form of an outstanding WBO mandatory in the form of the skilled and undefeated Lamont Peterson (27-0, 13 KO).  In recent years, fights like Jesse James Leija-Hector Camacho Jr. and James Toney-Hasim Rahman II have all ended in nearly identical fashion to Bradley-Campbell only for winning results to later be reversed and any complaints lodged to the California Athletic Commission will play out in the coming days and weeks.

For now, Bradley goes forward with his third win over a current or former titlist in his last four outings.  For the rounds it lasted, it may have been the most impressive victory of the bunch as he notched his first defense of the WBO crown he wrested from Kendall Holt in an April 2009 unification contest.  The belt he held entering the Holt contest was forced into forfeit after the win and was up for grabs on Saturday’s undercard.   

In the featured support bout, a career long hex remained with 35-year old former WBC 140 lb. titlist Junior Witter (37-3-2, 22 KO), 139, of Sheffield, Yorkshire in the United Kingdom.  Entering the ring Saturday night, his only two losses, and his two worst performances, had come on the Showtime airwaves.  He kept the mark perfect, unable to handle the jab and stability of 22-year old Devon Alexander (19-0, 12 KO), 138 ½, of St. Louis, Missouri.  The younger man controlled the bulk of the action with an educated jab and well-timed power shots, forcing surrender between the eighth and ninth rounds and taking home the WBC belt vacated by Bradley.

Ironically, Alexander wins his first major title from the same Witter whom Bradley defeated for his initial WBC honors.

Witter came out in a right handed stance, Alexander fighting southpaw with his feet wide and long jab pumping.  A minute into the bout Witter scored with a lead right but seconds later an awkward offensive lunge ended with a trip to the floor as he rolled over the shoulder of Alexander.  Switching to southpaw and then back again, Witter sought to put Alexander off his rhythm but the youngster didn’t flinch, staying with the right jab and lacing in a quick lead right hook just before the bell to end round one.

Both men opened the second with lead hooks, neither doing damage, and the game plan remained what it had been in the first.  Alexander was coming forward while Witter moved constantly, his hands at his waist looking for chances to counter from bizarre angles.  From the southpaw stance, Witter drew the attention of the crowd with a lead right but Alexander took it well and, again with only seconds to go, landed his best blow, a short left to stagger the veteran.

A right hand from Alexander unsettled Witter early in round three and a clash of heads drew blood from near Witter’s right eye.  With thirty seconds remaining, Alexander’s right hand slapped off the face of Witter, driving the Brit into the ropes but Witter remained composed and clinched to ward off any last second surge.

It was Witter who struck first to open the fourth, a lead right landing over the top of an evaded Alexander flurry.  Staying southpaw and planting his feet more often, Witter’s jab began to land clean and a hard right hook got Alexander’s attention.  Near the minute mark, Alexander led with lefts to connect twice and forced a Witter clinch.

 

Witter again initiated the action in the fifth, opening with a quick lead right to the body.  Both men fired shots behind the head in a clinch and the action was sparse until the round crossed the halfway mark.  Leaping forward with wide and wild left hand attempt, Witter instead found a blasting left hand to the chin.  Rocketing backwards to the ropes, Witter almost went down but used the momentum coming off the ropes to bend forward and snare the waist of Alexander, riding him across the ring and keeping his feet.  Alexander could not force the advantage but built on what seemed a certain lead in the scoring.

Round six opened with Alexander probing with his jab while Witter landed a nice left to the body and short right upstairs.  Grunting as he snapped the jab, Alexander looked for his next big power shot but little of note landed until he got the better of an exchange of right hooks with seconds to go as the bout reached its scheduled halfway point.  

The seventh brought boos from the fans as both men were content to trade jabs until a late surge from Witter, a hard left lacing Alexander followed by some fancy footwork and a fiery exchange from both fighters.  A short left behind the ear of Witter started the eighth and repeated clinches brought a stern warning from referee Lou Moret, threatening to take a point from the former titlist.  Aside from holding for shorter intervals, Witter could find no answer for the jab and consistency of Alexander.

Before the ninth could commence, it was decided no answers would be coming.  With Moret visiting the corner to further warn Witter for clinches, the referee was informed by Witter’s trainer that his charge would not continue and Witter quickly walked across the ring, pushing aside Alexander’s cornerman and embracing his conqueror in congratulation. 

Interviewed in the locker room after the bout, Witter struggled for words to describe his first stoppage defeat.  “As much as I wanted to do it, I just wasn’t able to do it.  It’s not that I wanted to quit because I wanted to win.  I knew it was a close fight…I just wasn’t here on the night.”  Asked about his future plans, Witter said he didn’t think he’d had his last fight.  “I just want to get away from it for a minute.”

Alexander’s minute in the ring is now and he was obviously elated by his first major title win.  His voice choking with emotion, Alexander dedicated the win to his late father and announced, “I got it now.  I got it.”  He repeated the phrase and continued to discuss the influence of his Dad, noting that he’d followed advice to “…stay humble.  That’s what I did.  That’s why I’m wearing this belt right now.  I trained hard every day.  I didn’t miss a day at the gym when I was an amateur or a pro.  I was dedicated and now I got the green (WBC) belt, the world title.  God is good.”

Alexander’s next contest may be easy to predict.  Having won a vacant belt, WBC rules dictate a mandatory in his first defense.  The highest rated available contender in the current WBC ratings is Canada’s Ionut Ion (25-0, 13 KO), rated #4.  Regardless of who the mandatory finally settles on, Alexander ventures forth into a Jr. Welterweight class among the most talented and youthful in the sport.  

Alexander, the previously noted Bradley and Peterson, and others like WBA titlist Amir Khan (21-1, 15 KO), IBF titlist Juan Urango (21-2-1, 16 KO), and Marcos Maidana (26-1, 25 KO) are all under thirty years of age and form a nexus which could be entertaining fans often over the next few years, with or without Pacquiao.

Alexander joins fellow St. Louis native and former World Welterweight champion Cory Spinks, who was in attendance, as an active titlist.  Spinks currently holds the IBF belt at Jr., Middleweight. 

The card was televised in the U.S. on premium cable outlet Showtime, promoted by Gary Shaw Productions.

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com