Timothy Bradley Wants Mayweather After Pacquiao

Top junior welterweight Timothy Bradley has grown increasingly confident (some would say cocky and boastful) about his June 9 fight with Manny Pacquiao, saying recently that the fight will be easy for him, and that he expects to win without much trouble.

Now, Bradley tells Chris Robinson of the Examiner that after he's done with Pacquiao, he'll set his sights on Floyd Mayweather, and he feels that he's got Floyd figured out, too:

"Floyd Mayweather is beatable too. He’s the next one on my list, after I take care of Pacquiao, I’m going to take care of Floyd Mayweather next. ... You can’t outbox Mayweather, you’ve just got to hit him anywhere you possibly can. You can’t swing at the head, you got to attack the body, stay close to him, and don’t let him work. And that’s how you beat Floyd Mayweather, you keep him busy. And if you keep him busy and you are able to elude the counter punches, you’re in the fight."

As much as this may sound like a "blueprint" to beat Floyd, it also sounds kind of like saying, "Listen, here's how the Knicks can beat the Heat. Carmelo has to be better than he is and they can't let LeBron and Wade score many points."

In fact, something about Tim Bradley's whole attitude kin of strikes me as "off" lately, like he's suddenly started thinking he's some once-in-a-lifetime fighter who's going to change the game. I don't know, it's probably just bullshit and bluster, but ol' Timbo is really getting his ego on lately.

All I know for sure is that I hope he grew his moustache back.

Bradley favors Mayweather against Miguel Cotto on Saturday, as most of us do, but believes as many fighters believe that Cotto will make a good showing, at least early:

"I think that Cotto’s going to put up a really good showing in the early rounds. If his conditioning is there, I think he can put up a good fight. But I’m definitely going to favor Floyd Mayweather in this fight, because of just pure speed and Mayweather comes in condition."

As for a potential fight between Bradley (28-0, 12 KO) and Mayweather, well...look, Bradley would have to beat Pacquiao, which I think is possible, and then he'd have to get Top Rank to work with Mayweather. Which I do not think is possible. I don't know if Tim Bradley thinks he's special, but it's not just Pacquiao-Mayweather that hasn't happened, it's Mayweather vs anyone at Top Rank. The Mayweather-Arum feud is real and very deep.

And anyway, if Bradley beats Pacquiao, and Manny doesn't retire, there's a pretty good chance (to say the least) that Bradley will have to rematch Pacquiao in the fall. But it's talk and it's out there, so there you go.