Bradley Says MAYBE Manny Can Get Redo IF Pac Beats Rios

We are counting down to what promises to be another zesty faceoff, between Juan Manuel Marquez, the Pacman destroyer, and Timothy Bradley, who was awarded a decision win against Manny when they squared off last year. HBO PPV will show the JMM-Bradley bout on Oct. 12. Here is some content from Bradley, and Marquez, as they talk about their faceoff and other fistic matters.

Q) Why did you choose Marquez as your next opponent instead of a rematch with Pacquiao?

A) BRADLEY: I have always been more interested in looking for new challenges than in doing what has been expected. Though I was offered a rematch with Manny Pacquiao in Macau, the opportunity to fight another legend of my era — Juan Manuel Márquez — had far more appeal to me for several reasons.

Márquez is a boxing legend and a Méxican icon. He is coming off a career-best victory over his professional nemesis Manny Pacquiao. I am coming off my two career-best victories — over Pacquiao and Ruslan Provodnikov. It just made sense for me to fight Márquez next. Bradley vs. Márquez — a battle between the only two fighters to have beaten Manny Pacquiao in the past seven years. It got me excited as a fighter and as a fan. It was a no-brainer for me.

Challenges are what I am all about. They invigorate me. And the chance to fight Márquez in front of his legion of loyal Hispanic fans? Heck, I’m riding that wave. I live for a fight like this. He wants to make history by being the first Méxican fighter to win five world titles in five different weight divisions. Chávez, Morales and Barrera never did that. I know he wants to make history. But I want to make my own history and beating Márquez and denying him of his ultimate goal, in the boxing capital of the world, will do just that.

If Manny Pacquiao can beat Brandon Rios in November than maybe we can have our rematch after that fight. But timing is everything and the time for Bradley vs. Márquez is NOW. I choose the battles I want to fight and I want to fight Márquez. This is my time.

Q) Why did you choose Bradley as your next opponent instead of a rematch with Pacquiao?

A) MARQUEZ: My quest for a historic fifth world championship in a five different weight divisions is very important to me. I felt that I beat Manny Pacquiao in our third fight in November of 2011 and that I had earned the WBO welterweight title that night and I was very upset that it was taken away from me by the judges. But now that Tim Bradley has that belt I want it more than ever. I also felt that the fans wanted to see something new. The first two fights with Pacquiao were very close, the third I won easily and in the fourth I knocked him out cold, so as far as I am concerned, we are done with Pacquiao.

Bradley is a two-time world champion, he is undefeated and brings speed and toughness to his fights. I think the fans will enjoy seeing me take on this type of challenge and I expect a very tough competitive fight and one that the fans will enjoy and will remember for a long time.

I will be ready to take him on and will train very hard for this fight. I need to be at my very best to beat someone like Tim Bradley. He offers very different challenges then Pacquiao and it will very exciting for me to get ready for a boxer like Tim Bradley.

I want to give the fans something different than another Pacquiao fight. We fought four times and I believe that the fans enjoyed all of them and we had a great rivalry but that is over now. My knockout victory settled everything with him. We now know for sure that I am the better fighter and there is no need for a fifth fight. It is time for something new.

My career has always been about facing the best and Tim Bradley is considered one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world. I am also in the list of the best pound for pound fighters, so this is a great fight for the fans.

Bradley is going to come at his best, he has shown that he can box and he can brawl and has defeated some very good boxers in his career and it will up to me to be ready for him and to prove that I am still one the best. My experience and my intelligence will be very key for this fight. I believe I have the speed and the strength to beat him and I will show it on fight night.

I just felt the Pacquiao chapter of my career is over after a great knockout victory last year and fighting Bradley is something new. He is younger and has a lot of skills and for me it’s a great challenge and for the fans something new to see in my career. I believe this fight will be just as good as any I have had in my career and that is why I am fighting Tim Bradley on October 12, 2013.

24/7 Bradley/Marquez debuts Sat., Sept. 28 on HBO immediately after World Championship Boxing tripleheader.

Bradley vs. Marquez welterweight title fight takes place Sat., Oct. 12 live on HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm PT.