CLEARLY UNDENIABLE: WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley exalts in victory with his father and co-trainer
(Tim Bradley Sr., right) pointing skyward. Bradley outpointed Juan Marquez last Saturday at the Thomas and Mack
center in Las Vegas to retain his crown and remain undefeated at 31-0.
LAS VEGAS—No one will deny that Juan Manuel Marquez is a great fighter and first ballot Hall of Fame fighter, but he is a poor sport and again complained that he was robbed after losing a split decision to Tim Bradley last Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
“I was robbed for the sixth time,” Marquez was quoted as saying after Bradley fought a masterful 12-rounds and only lost one of the three judges scorecards.
He sounded as delusional as the 16,000 rabid Mexicans who cheered his every move and jeered anything that Bradley did. The crowd even drowned out Bradley during his in the ring post fight interview.
However, it didn’t matter because Bradley’s performance against the 40-year old Marquez spoke volumes for him.
He fought Marquez similar to the way Floyd ’Money’ Mayweather did over a year ago. He lowed the left shoulder, stuck the jab and moved from side-to-side, often punching and weaving low.
As a result, Marquez looked clownish and stone footed, slinging wildly and resembling the shadow of the fighter he once was.
“He couldn’t touch me. I stuck to the game plan and it worked,” Bradley said of his victory.
When Bradley beat Manny Pacquiao, the crowd booed and later the public and media refused to give him his respect.
Pacquiao didn’t complain nearly as much as Marquez. Every time he loses, he feels that he’s been robbed.
Now, he’s trying to fool people into thinking that he was robbed again. No Mas, No Mas.
After a slow beginning, Bradley settled in and dominated.
The fifth round was a signature round for Bradley as he boxed and moved to perfection as the biased Mexican crowd continued to root for any feint or punch Marquez threw, few if any landed.
The fifth round was a signature round for Bradley as he boxed and moved like you know who and the biased Mexican crowd continued to root for any feint or punch Marquez threw, few if any landed.
Again in the fifth round Bradley, pumped the jab into the reddened and puffy face of Marquez.
In the 10th, and probably the most engaging round of the fight, Bradley caught Marquez with a counter left that staggered the veteran and nearly put him on the canvas.
Bradley got a bit lazy in the 11th and Marquez even tried to pull a Robert Guerrero by hitting him on the break.
Then in the 12th and championship round, Bradley for some unforeseen reason dropped his hands and allowed for Marquez to have his best round of the fight, until he caught Marquez flush with a left-right that wobbled him and nearly put him down. The judges rewarded Marquez and it probably cost Bradley a unanimous decision that would have matched him with the verdict that Mayweather gained over Marquez.
In the end, the judges got it right scoring it a split decision victory; Bradley as he retained his WBO welterweight championship and improved to 31-0.
The Sentinel had Bradley winning 8 of the 12 rounds, and it was probably Bradley’s most complete performance.
In this fight he proved that he is equal the athlete that Mayweather is although he lacks the speed and punching accuracy.
Whom he fights next is the big question.
If Pacquiao wins in December that would not be a bad rematch for him to prove that he was worthy of the victory, but then again, he did rather soundly beat Marquez who flattened the Pac Man.
