Timothy Bradley's Useless Challenge to Manny Pacquiao

By Troy Sparks

It takes a lot of stones for Timothy Bradley to challenge Manny Pacquiao.

"I'm making a challenge right now," Bradley said in his interview in the ring with Max Kellerman recently after his victory over Argentina's Luis Carlos Abregu.

He continued: "Manny Pacquiao, come break down this wall, baby.  Manny, come break down this wall.  I challenge Manny Pacquiao at 147 pounds."

As I watched and listened to Bradley after his HBO's Boxing After Dark fight, I felt that he isn't in a position to fight Pacquiao at this time.

Bradley wants Pac-Man to fight him at welterweight.

Maybe Bradley didn't know that Pacquiao has some control over who he wants to fight, unless it's Floyd Mayweather.

Bradley's camp doesn't have the bucks to mount a serious offer to Top Rank Promotions.

The WBO junior welterweight champion is an up-and-coming fighter at 140.

Pacquiao, I can tell you, won't fight on Bradley's terms.

He's probably thinking to himself, "Who is Bradley to make the rules?"

Bradley just wanted to put the business out there for everyone to know how bad he wants Pacquiao.

I noticed he called out the Pac-Man's name first.

While watching his last fight, I saw Bradley trying to reach in with his aggressive style.

A slugger like Bradley might be up right up Pacquiao's alley.

Pacquiao will notice Bradley on the attack and greet him with a barrage of punches.  It will be lots of action and very little holding.

Kellerman thought Bradley was trying to bring the pressure to Abregu.

Bradley's "jab game" is still a work in progress and won't work against Pacquiao.

So, in Bradley's dream fight against Pacquiao, he has to wait in line, after Antonio Margarito, Mayweather, and Juan Manuel Marquez.

Pacquiao will probably retire from boxing before he gives a whippersnapper like Bradley a taste of his leather glove.

Meanwhile, Bradley has a more realistic chance to fight the next man up.

"Devon Alexander," he said, "If everything's right, the money's right, everything is signed up, I'll fight you next.  Pacquiao, (Marcos) Maidana, and (Amir) Khan, I'll fight all of them."

Alexander is ranked No. 2, Khan No. 3 and Maidana No. 4 in the junior welterweight division.

Bradley, who calls himself a "throwback" fighter, should focus on the fighters behind him in the division, even though he fought Abregu at welterweight.

He can forget about a match with Pacquiao, unless he hires Don King as his manager.  His pocket change isn't enough to pay for that crook's services.