By Ryan Burton
Tim Bradley says he is completely healed from the punishment he received from his March 16th unanimous decision victory Ruslan Provodnikov on March 16th. He said that he had plenty of time to recuperate between that fight and Saturday's showdown against Juan Manuel Marquez.
"What happened in the Ruslan fight doesn't mean it is going to happen in this fight. It is a different fight. I was off for four months after the Ruslan fight. I was off four months completely. No lifting weights or running. They had me resting," Bradley explained.
The WBO welterweight champion opted to face Marquez instead of accepting a more lucrative offer to face Manny Pacquiao in a rematch. I asked him if the opportunity to be the first man to beat both Pacquiao and Marquez was part of the thought process for accepting the fight.
"That is part of it. The fact that I beat two hall of fame fighters in two years is part of it and that I finally will get the recognition and be one of the top three pound for pound fighters. It isn't about the money. I could have fought Pacquiao for more money but I wasn't going to go to Asia or fight at 7 am. I wasn't going to be dictated by their terms," Bradley revealed while saying that he wants to keep the momentum he gained from the Provodnikov fight.
"I want to stay in the light. The Ruslan fight was crazy but I got mad respect from that fight. A lot of boxing Fans from across the world wrote me on Twitter and Facebook and all the social media. They showed me major love. People said they never liked me before but they like me now because I showed them something completely different. There was good behind it and some bad behind it but now its on to a new chapter and a new challenge. It will be tough challenge. I know Marquez can definitely fight but by getting a win over Marquez nobody in this room can deny that I am one of the best in the world," said Bradley.
Bradley's resume includes wins over former champions Junior Witter, Joel Casamayor, Kendall Holt, Lamont Peterson and current champions Devon Alexander and Miguel Vazquez along with a controversial win over Manny Pacquiao. I asked Bradley if a win over Marquez will be enough to punch his ticket to the hall of fame.
"Absolutely I will be a hall of famer. If you look at my legacy I have fought champions, former champions. I beat Miguel Vazquez, I am the only one to beat Devon Alexander, and there are so many others," Bradley told BoxingScene.com.
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