While we've already talked about Timothy Bradley's early analysis of Manny Pacquiao being a beatable fighter for him on June, let's talk about money a little bit. Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times reports that Bradley will make by far a career-best payday, as everyone knew he would, receiving the same $5 million guarantee given to Shane Mosley and Juan Manuel Marquez last year against Pacquiao -- or at least close to it.
Bradley declined to reveal terms of his agreement, which he said could be signed as early as Friday, but fight promoter Bob Arum said there was no reason to doubt that Bradley will have around the same $5-million guarantee that Pacquiao's most recent two opponents had.
Bradley (28-0, 12 KO) has made seven-figure paydays for fights against Devon Alexander (about $1.1 million) and Joel Casamayor ($1.025 million), but obviously this is another level. This is the big time. This is big time money.
I guess it's fair to say that Bradley choosing to leave Gary Shaw and Thompson Boxing last year turned out to be the right move. Though he didn't fight Amir Khan for good money, he didn't make a whole lot less to wipe out the remains of Casamayor a few months later, and now here he is gearing up to face Pacquiao on June 9 with around $5 million coming his way.
Not bad for a guy who can't draw in his own backyard, huh? (By the way, I don't mean that as a shot to anyone who points out he can't draw in his own backyard. He can't. Bradley doesn't draw fans and overcoming that will be something of a task for this show's performance both at the gate and on pay-per-view.)
Maybe Top Rank didn't want to go this route so soon. In fact, I'll guarantee that they didn't. But this is the fight they have, and it's the fight on tap. Hopefully Bradley earns that big payday now that he's got the opportunity on the grandest stage there is in boxing. This is his shot. Guys who struggle as Bradley has to bring in fans and TV audiences don't often get this sort of chance. It's all on him now.