Timothy Bradley - Cold December Night For Mr. 'Desert Storm'?

By Vivek Wallace - On the evening of May 10, 2008, the world of boxing witnessed the birth of a rising young prospect. Thousands of miles from home without a supporter in the crowd to cheer him on, deep in the back of Timothy Bradley's mind was a hunger that yearned far more than a few familiar voices to yell his name. The man that stood across from him that evening was viewed to be more talented, yet in the midst of a very hostile environment, the young Bradley's level of confidence was far from shaken. Shades of the fight were close, but the end results were far from contested, as Bradley's official pathway to prominence had clearly been paved at that point. Never is it easy to go across the pond and steal victory from the jaws of defeat, but this non-ordinary mission happened to fall upon a non-ordinary man. At the time, he stood 21-0, yet few knew his name. Fast forward nearly two years and three fights later, and suddenly, that all seems to be changing. Today's jr. welterweight division stands as one of the deepest in the sport, and being one of the official leaders of the pack, Bradley knows full well that there's no better time than the present to draw a line in the sand. Such an act sounds easy in principle, but formidable competition has a way of showing us that application isn't always quite the same story.. Literally from top to bottom, there are at least 6 to 10 men in this division that could rule the day on any given night. In a true Baskin-Robbins effect, one can literally pick their own flavor, as the menu in this neck of the woods goes from slick (Alexander/Malignaggi/Witter), to rugged (Maidana/Torres/Diaz/Urango), to salty (Hatton/Marquez/Campbell), to youthful (Khan/Kotelnik/Ortiz). As if that weren't enough to whet ones appetite, the former ruler of the throne, Ricky Hatton, is only one good confidence building win away from being fooled into another run at glory. To earn his spot in the big dance with one of those more than stellar tango partners, Bradley's latest mission will start Saturday night with a showdown against a man who like himself, has slim notoriety, yet potential for a wide margin of victory, based on a better than average skillset. When you look at the resumes, as odd as it seems, Bradley actually has the most experience, despite facing fewer opponents. The last year and a half have proven to be quite the terrain to tread, as Bradley has successfully faced the likes of Witter, Cherry, Holt, with a no-contest against Campbell. Each of those fights tested the young champ to the brink, as he would need the often undesired opinions of three ringside judges each time. A glance at Peterson's resume requires a little more attention to detail, as most would argue that few to none of his opponents have had mainstream appeal. On paper, it would appear to be a toss up, yet many fight fans feel reason to lean one direction or the other. Bradley (24-0, 11KO's) will receive the benefit of a hometown crowd, while Peterson (27-0, 13KO's) feels a little more comfortable with his back against the wall. The "back against the wall" analogy is quite fitting, as Peterson has vowed to come out swingin' early. Despite Bradley's edge in experience, many expect Peterson to test him more so than any other past opponent. Both men have deceptive power, but Peterson has a skillset that may very well separate him from anyone of Bradley's past. Adding to the intrigue of the fight is the fact that both men will enter the ring undefeated, knowing full well that one of the above won't leave that way. Recent weeks in the sport of boxing have been met with some highly disputed results. One of the most disputed of them all will take place in this same division, on the very same night (Malignaggi/Diaz). As Bradley enters the ring a hometown hero, the question beckons, "can a less than popular visitor truly get justice"? Or will fight fans attempt to turn the dial, only to find the same old song? Team Peterson would like to believe nothing so odd could happen, (again), but an unfortunate trend on the rise in the sport recently tells us otherwise. This question may never come into play, as Bradley seems poised to take care of business. But, as my now personalized adage states...."for every winter that springs there's a summer that falls". Pretty intriguing passage, because no doubt, come Saturday night, Mr. Desert Storm will have to brave a cold december night. He's been hot lately, but a sudden cool-off would epitomize the proverbial meltdown. In just a few hours the initial bell is set to ring.....witness the elements at work!