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After Sunday’s forgettable performance it would seem that the [Desert] Storm has temporarily settled.
Timothy Bradley will put his gears in neutral as he has some thinking to do.
No longer undefeated, Bradley has a new vantage point from where he will make a very unfamiliar decision—a comeback fight.
But, despite the loss, Bradley is still the cream of the crop at 147 pounds.
If Bradley manages to rebound in an impressive fashion, there is no question he will find himself in title contention once again, possibly even more motivated and with an even bigger chip on his shoulder.
The most intriguing fight would be a rematch with Ruslan Provodnikov. In appearance it will be full of action, like the first was.
Most intriguing is the idea which some people have that Bradley lost their first encounter.
Provodnikov has recently been pinned to a title defense against Chris Algieri, an Argentine–American New York native, scheduled for June 14, a fight he told ESPN he does not want.
If Bradley decided to take a medium-sized break, this fight makes sense, as Provodnikov’s fight is only two months down the road. Likely to hold on to his title, Bradley may want to come after it.
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Provodnikov had Bradley, amongst others, on his wish list.
A likely scenario will be a fight against the loser of Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Mike Alvarado. Though many believe Marquez will win, an upset would lead to Bradley vs. Marquez 2, a sure hit for pay-per-view and redemption for those who question the result of their previous fight.
Less appealing is a fight against Alvarado, as Bradley is already difficult to market seemingly making a fight with Alvarado a flop.
At this point it is apparent that Timothy Bradley needs exposure and a fight with Alvarado will simply not suffice. If they haven’t already, camp Bradley needs to watch the numbers.
An intelligent fight would be one with Brandon Rios, Bradley can outbox him and look impressive with better TV numbers than he would with Alvarado.
After Rios’ tame performance against Manny Pacquiao, Bradley could in theory pick him apart, impress viewers and gain momentum toward regaining his title.
For Timothy Bradley it is time to be tactical with his feet, because bad footwork got him his first loss and a wrong step in the business of boxing can mean mediocrity.
Header photo by Chris Farina/Top Rank
