In another era, Timothy Bradley Jr. could have easily been seen as the best of his generation. He’s a charismatic, mousey welterweight with a heart of gold, an entertainer’s mindset, and a boxing IQ that is matched by only a select few.
If it weren’t that the select few who match him mentally are men like Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, the career of Bradley may have gone in a much different manner.
When we finally close the record books on Bradley we’ll remember him as an entertainer, an everyman—the perennial underdog. Bradley has never packed a wallop and no amount of platitudes or rousing second-act speeches from the mouth of Teddy Atlas will change that.
Bradley, with all his talent, is always digging deep to pull out a victory because his fists have never been enough to get him out of trouble.
Having faced the best of his era save for Mayweather, where can Bradley possibly go from here? The answer: home to his family with a nice paycheck.
Bradley has expressed disinterest in fighting the “next all-time great” in Terence Crawford given their close relationship. He’s never openly wanted or cared much for a Mayweather bout. He doesn’t seem to be calling any fighters out. Bradley is a nice guy. He sits, reserved, waiting for Bob Arum to place the next guy in front of him so he can go to work.
But Bradley’s Protestant blue-collar work ethic isn’t enough anymore at his age. He’s 32, but he’s taken enough beatings and been lured into enough street fights that his physicality is likely that of a man half a decade older.
Should he actually step into the ring with Crawford, he’ll have a tough time with him. He won’t hurt Crawford, but Crawford can certainly hurt him.
Should someone like Amir Khan take on Bradley, it wouldn’t do much for Bradley’s resume. He’s beaten better fighters than Khan in Juan Manuel Marquez and (officially, whether you agree with the controversy or not) Pacquiao.
Bradley’s wife and manager Monica Bradley has encouraged him in the past to retire. Bradley made a handsome check for 36 minutes’ work last night.
“No matter what, I’m proud of you,” Atlas said to him last night as round 10 awaited.
We should all be proud of Bradley. In him we’ve gotten some of the most entertaining fights of the last 20 years. Whether he hangs up the gloves or makes a few more dollars, there’s no denying his talent or the sacrifice he’s put into his career.
Maybe somewhere out there there’s another universe wherein Tim Bradley is in fact the best fighter of his generation. Maybe there isn’t. But this one should be proud.
Photo by Will Hart
