Bradley vs Peterson II being negotiated for Dec. 15, Judah a backup plan

Representatives for Timothy Bradley and Lamont Peterson continue to negotiate a December 15 date at Marlins Park in Miami, which would air on HBO as a rematch of a 2009 fight between the two when they were both junior welterweights. If the deal is made, Peterson would be challenging for Bradley's WBO welterweight title.

If a deal is not made, Peterson and his team would likely take a more serious look at a fight with Zab Judah, which has been ordered by the IBF, who still recognize Peterson as their junior welterweight champion. Earlier, Headbangers Promotions (run by the family of Peterson's trainer/manager Barry Hunter) won that fight with a minimum purse bid of $50,000, the only promoter to bid on the fight.

BoxingScene.com's Keith Idec says that most believe Hunter made the move as an "insurance policy," should negotiations with Bradley fall apart. Most likely, Peterson-Judah would go back to purse bid if that happens, as there's just no way those guys are going to go 75-25 on a $50,000 purse bid. Even if the fight isn't worth a ton, it's worth more than that, and so are the fighters.

With Bradley-Peterson II now the expected next fight for both, it's worth wondering if there's much public interest here, and it's certainly worth considering how empty the gigantic Marlins Park might be for a main event between a guy from Palm Springs, California, and another from Washington, DC, neither of whom are noted for having big fan bases. Even if Cuban super bantamweight champ Guillermo Rigondeaux is on the undercard, is there really any potential for a large crowd here?