By Jake Donovan
The worst possible question you can ask any top-level boxer heading into a major fight is who he would next like to face.
When a superstar like Manny Pacquiao is dangling overhead, however, writers just can't contain their enthusiasm in asking any given welterweight of entering such a bout.
Timothy Bradley Jr. has heard the talk - in fact several times over, given his pair of fights with the future Hall of Famer. The two remain knotted at one win apiece, with Bradley taking a disputed split decision in June '12 meet and Pacquiao coming up aces in their rematch last April.
Talks of a third fight have now surfaced, in light of Pacquiao claiming his next fight - tentatively slated for April 9, 2016 - will be his last ever. Bradley was mentioned as one of three major candidates to land the assignment, provided he gets past Brandon Rios in their HBO-televised welterweight title fight this weekend in Las Vegas.
"He really has to have a spectacular victory," Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum previously told BoxingScene.com of Bradley's chances in landing the fight over Terence Crawford and Amir Khan. "Who knows what will happen on November 7, but Timothy Bradley really believes that now he's with Teddy Atlas (the two joined forces in September), that he's a better fighter.
"So we'll see. If Timothy wins and wins big, we will certainly talk to Manny Pacquiao and Michael Koncz about doing a third fight."
As for Bradley's thoughts on the subject?
"We don't even care," the two-time and defending welterweight titlist stated during a recent conference call, obviously electing to focus on the task at hand this weekend. "We ain't thinking about no Manny Pacquiao right now. We got Brandon Rios in front of us.
"That’s our only mission right now. We don’t care about Manny Pacquiao (at this time)."
Jake Donovan is the managing editor of BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
