Reigning WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley finally revealed the reason behind his choice to pick Juan Manuel Marquez over Manny Pacquiao as his next opponent, saying he sees more challenges in fighting the Mexican legend than the Filipino boxing champ.
In an interview with Michael Woods of the Sweet Science, Bradley believes Marquez was the better match for him all along, considering the fact that both of them defeated Pacquiao last year. The Desert Storm added that he has always been looking for the next big challenge and he thinks a Mexican legend in Marquez would bring the best in him at fight night.
"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," Bradley said.
"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," he added.
Bradley, who seeks to defend the WBO Welterweight title for the second time after surviving a 12-round slugfest with Russian banger Ruslan Provodnikov earlier this year, went on to brag about the credibility of his opponent; but at the same time, he also promised to foil Marquez's attempt of becoming a five-division world champion.
"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," said Bradley, who said he remains open to giving Pacquiao a rematch if he beats Brandon Rios on Nov. 24 in Macau, China.
Bradley and Marquez will face each other inside the ring on Oct. 12 at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nev. A 24/7 presentation of the Bradley-Marquez showdown is set to make its debut on Sept. 28 on HBO.