By Ryan Burton

BoxingScene.com recently caught up with WBO welterweight champion Timothy "Desert Storm" Bradley who recently agreed to a lucrative contract extension with Top Rank and also agreed to a rematch with Manny Pacquiao. The fight takes place on April 12th at the MGM Grand.

Bradley said that in addition to the monetary aspects of the deal, he also stayed with Top Rank because of his relationship with the Las Vegas, Nevada based company.

"I am very happy with the deal.  I am making six million dollars for this fight. I am very familiar with them.  I don't know anyone over there at Golden Boy.  I like the familiarity and I have made a lot of money with Top Rank so I didn't feel any reason to go somewhere else.  I used to fight on Showtime and had a great relationship with them but those people have changed and I don't know the new people.

"HBO and Top Rank have been good to me even though Top Rank and I have a love/hate relationship. 'Are you married?  You are married right (as I reply yes)? I like to say it is like when you are married.  It is like I can't stand you today but I still love you (laughs again)'" Bradley explained.

Fans and insiders alike speculated that Bradley may opt to not sign an extension and instead become a free agent so he could sign with chief Top Rank rival Golden Boy and pursue a fight against Floyd Mayweather.  Golden Boy and Top Rank haven't worked together in years and during that time Mayweather has only faced Golden Boy promoted fighters and Pacquiao has only faced Top Rank promoted fighters.

Bradley said that even if he signed with Golden Boy that still wouldn't guarantee him a fight with the pound for pound king but feels he will still get big fights.

"I know a lot of fans were upset saying I should have left or this and that but there was no guarantee I was going to get the Mayweather fight.  We don't know if that would have happened.  People also say they want to see me and (Danny) Garcia fight so they are upset but you know what, these contracts are going to be up too and I am going to put pressure on them to make these fights.  Maybe they can come to the other side.  People have talked about Mayweather fighting Pacquiao for years and we haven't seen that fight so how do I know I would have got it? People can get mad but at the end of the day I have to take care of my family and do what is right for me," Bradley told BoxingScene.com

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