Mexican boxing warrior Juan Manuel Marquez has agreed to go "mano contra mano" with welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley on September 14 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas Nevada.
Marquez, who's coming off a stunning sixth-round TKO win over Manny Pacquiao in December, will once again return to the ring, this time he will face also a former Pac-Man nemesis - Tim Bradley Jr.
"The fight is agreed to. We have contracts out to both fighters," Top-rank boss Bob Arum said on Tuesday. "[Top Rank president] Todd [duBoef] worked hard with both sides and [Marquez co-promoter] Fernando [Beltran] worked hard with Marquez and we came to terms with both of them."
With Pacquiao still busy campaigning for a second consecutive term in the Philippine Congress, Top-Rank decided instead to push a bout between two fighters who both defeated the Filipino ring icon.
"These guys wanted to fight each other, too. They really wanted to fight each other, even though either of them could have opted to fight Manny. But Bradley-Marquez is an interesting fight. People are going to see an action fight." Arum told ESPN on Tuesday.
"Marquez is an action fighter, and Bradley showed he's not afraid of slugging with anyone like he did [last month] in the fight with [Ruslan Provodnikov]," He added.
The Marquez-Bradley showdown is expected to be a huge draw for the Hispanics, especially if it's held on the Mexican Independence Weekend.
However, in case of a possibility the fight could smack right on Golden Boy Promotions' bout for Floyd Mayweather, Top-Rank has a reserve date for the welterweight clash.
"Marquez and Bradley is a huge fight, especially with Hispanics, so we'd like to do it on Sept. 14. Nobody can say we're jumping Golden Boy's date. We have a date in reserve in case Mayweather fights on Sept. 14, which I don't believe he will wind up doing. If he doesn't, we will go on Sept. 14.
Arum believes the bout has a potential to be pay-per-view hits with Marquez's strong fan base and Bradley's credential as an elite fighter.
"I think we can do 500,000 or 600,000 buys," Arum said. "We think the lowest is 400,000, with a shot at 600,000. Marquez is now bigger in Mexico than Chavez Jr. after the way he beat Manny, and Tim is coming off that great fight with Provodnikov. People know a good fight," said Arum, who has yet to slate a return date for Pacquiao
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