Three Punch Combo: Tim Bradley’s IBHOF Credentials, Ryota Murata and More

THREE PUNCH COMBO — A seemingly innocuous tweet from ESPN’s Dan Rafael last week sparked quite a debate on social media. Rafael’s tweet read “Happy 36^th birthday today to future Hall of Famer @Timbradleyjr!!!” Some fans voiced support in calling Bradley a future Hall of Famer and others strongly disagreed with Rafael’s assumption that Bradley is a lock for Canastota. So is Bradley in fact a Hall of Famer?

There is no disputing that Tim Bradley was a very accomplished fighter. He won world titles at 140 and 147. He scored wins against two legends in Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez and was the first man to defeat Lamont Peterson and Devon Alexander.

Bradley’s resume goes further than just those aforementioned wins. In 2013 he won a 12-round unanimous decision over Ruslan Provodnikov in one of the best action fights of the decade. Four years earlier, Bradley climbed off the deck twice to win a unanimous decision over power punching Kendall Holt in a 140-pound unification fight.

Critics of Bradley’s Hall of Fame credentials are quick to point out that most ring observers thought he was gifted a decision in his first fight against Manny Pacquiao. And they also point out that his split decision win over Marquez was a fight that could have gone either way. If those two wins are taken away, the critics argue, the quality of Bradley’s resume takes a major hit.

To add some clarification to the Bradley debate, I’d like to do a side by side comparison of his resume with that of a Hall of Famer. The Hall of Fame fighter needs to have fought around the same weight class as Bradley and generally around a similar era. And the best fit that I could find is Kostya Tszyu.

First the basic numbers. Tszyu finished with a record of 31-2, 25 KO’s. Bradley’s record was 33-2-1, 13 KO’s. Tszyu was a two-time champion in the 140-pound division. His record in world title fights was 15-2, 11 KO’s. As mentioned earlier, Bradley won world titles at 140 and 147. His record in title fights was 11-2, 2 KO’s. Both Tszyu and Bradley unified title belts in the 140-pound weight division.

As far as resume goes, both fought and defeated many world class opponents. There really isn’t much that separates the two except when looking at the top end. Bradley’s official record shows wins against surefire Hall of Famers Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. Tszyu’s defining win was his 2001 second round stoppage of Jab Judah to unify titles at 140. And Tszyu does have one win against a Hall of Famer in Julio Cesar Chavez. But that win took place in 2000 when Chavez was clearly a shopworn fighter.

When I saw the social media debate on Bradley’s Hall of Fame candidacy this week, I started my own research with an open mind. The final results are crystal clear. In fact, in my opinion, Bradley’s overall accomplishments are not only on par with Tszyu, but may actually be slightly better.

There is no question Tim Bradley has Hall of Fame credentials and should go into the Hall the first year he is eligible.

Now What’s Next for Ryota Murata?

It was no secret in boxing circles that Ryota Murata (15-2, 12 KO’s) was set to defend his WBA middleweight title against Jeff Horn later this year. But those plans came crashing down when Michael Zerafa shockingly stopped Horn in the ninth round of their scheduled 12-round fight this past weekend in Australia. So now what are Murata’s options?

Michael Zerafa (27-3, 16 KO’s)

I will start with the obvious. The win over Horn vaulted Michael Zerafa to number six in the WBA rankings at middleweight and in line to fight for their title belt.

Prior to last year, Zerafa was best known for getting knocked out by Peter Quillin in 2015. In that fight, Zerafa was utterly outclassed.

But last year, Zerafa gave Kell Brook a much tougher than expected challenge in dropping a twelve-round decision to the former welterweight champion. That performance helped earn Zerafa the date with Horn and his upset of Horn surely puts him in line for something much bigger.

Zerafa is certainly a much better fighter than the one that fought Quillin in 2015, but he wouldn’t have anywhere near Horn’s box office drawing power. Zerafa will get a look but may be too risky for the potential reward for Murata.

Liam Smith (28-2-1, 16 KO’s)

Smith would need to first get ranked by the WBA at middleweight. But given the recent history of the WBA, if those involved want a Murata-Smith fight, then getting Smith into the rankings won’t be too big an issue.

Smith is a bigger name and bigger draw than Zerafa. He is well known in the UK and is also well-known to U.S. fight fans due to his admirable performances on U.S. soil in world title losses to Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia. Add to it that Smith probably represents a little less risk to Murata than Zerafa. If I had to take a guess, I would venture to say that Smith probably gets the first call from Team Murata about making a fight later this year.

David Papot (22-0-1, 3 KO’s)

The idea behind a Horn-Murata fight was that Horn’s box office appeal would ultimately help boost Murata’s career. With that box office appeal off the table, Murata’s team may opt for more of a stay-busy type defense while waiting for another big opportunity to develop. And Papot, ranked 10th by the WBA at middleweight, would make sense.

Papot, who fought James McGirt to a 12-round draw in June, is a solid fighter, but he’s not a big puncher and has some noticeable holes in his defense. He probably wouldn’t pose much a threat to Murata. If Murata’s team opts for a stay-busy type fight, Papot is probably the most likely opponent.

Under The Radar Fight

The action will be light this week. In the U.S., the highlight is a Golden Boy card on Thursday from The Belasco Theater in Los Angeles that will be streamed live on Facebook Watch. The card is headlined by a crucial 122-pound crossroads fight between recent world title challengers Azat Hovhannisyan (17-3, 14 KO’s) and Franklin Manzanilla (18-5, 17 KO’s).

Both Hovhannisyan and Manzanilla recently fought WBC 122-pound champion Rey Vargas. Hovhannisyan lost a hard-fought decision to Vargas in May of 2018. Manzanilla gave Vargas a scare, dropping him in the second round of their fight this past February, before ultimately dropping the decision. Now Hovhannisyan and Manzanilla will square off with the winner poised to be right back in line for another title shot.

Hovhannisyan is a classic brawler. He knows only one way to fight and that is by coming forward, constantly applying pressure while throwing punches. He is the type of fighter who is willing to take a few shots just to create an opportunity to land one of his own. He may not be a big puncher but is heavy handed; his punches take a toll on his opponent as the fight progresses.

Manzanilla is more of a boxer-puncher. He likes to work behind the left jab and set up his power shots behind that punch. As his record indicates, Manzanilla is a big-time puncher. In particular, he possesses a thunderous left hook that can instantly change the course of a fight.

These two are evenly matched at this stage in their careers and stylistically mesh well for what should be a very entertaining scrap.

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