Timothy Bradley facts for kids

Timothy Ray Bradley Jr. (born August 29, 1983) is an American former professional boxer. He competed from 2004 to 2016. He won many world championships in two different weight classes. These included the World Boxing Council (WBC) light welterweight title twice. He also held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) light welterweight title. Later, he won the WBO welterweight title twice.

In 2013, The Ring magazine ranked Bradley as the world's third-best boxer. This was based on his skill, not his weight. He is famous for his three fights against Manny Pacquiao. These fights happened in 2012, 2014, and 2016. In 2023, Bradley was honored by being added to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Timothy Bradley's Boxing Career

Starting His Professional Journey

First Fights and Youth Titles

Timothy Bradley's first professional boxing match was on August 20, 2004. He won by knocking out Francisco Martinez in the second round. As he became more skilled, he won youth world titles. These were the WBC youth welterweight and super lightweight crowns. He also beat Miguel Vazquez, who later became a champion, in a ten-round fight.

Winning His First World Titles

Bradley got his chance for a full world title in 2008. He won the WBC super lightweight title. He beat British boxer Junior Witter in England on May 10, 2008. Bradley was not expected to win this fight. Many thought he would lose, but he controlled most of the fight. He even knocked Witter down in the sixth round. Bradley won the fight by a close decision.

On April 4, 2009, Bradley fought Kendall Holt. Bradley wanted to combine his WBC title with Holt's WBO title. Bradley was knocked down twice in the fight. But he kept fighting and won by a unanimous decision. This made him the new WBO champion.

A few days later, Bradley lost his WBC title. This happened because he did not fight Devon Alexander, who was next in line for the title. The title then became empty.

A Fight That Changed

Bradley fought Nate Campbell on August 1, 2009. Campbell was a former champion. The fight ended in the third round. Campbell stopped fighting because he had a cut near his eye. Bradley was first given the win. However, replays showed that the cut was caused by an accidental clash of heads. Boxing rules say that if a fight stops early due to an accidental headbutt, it should be called a "no contest." So, the result was changed.

Defending His WBO Title

In December 2009, Bradley defended his WBO title against Lamont Peterson. The fight took place in California. Bradley knocked Peterson down in the third round. Peterson fought hard, but Bradley won the fight. All the judges scored the fight for Bradley. This was Peterson's first loss as a professional boxer.

Moving Up in Weight

Fighting at Welterweight

Bradley decided to move up to the welterweight division. This meant he would fight heavier boxers. His first fight at this new weight was against Luis Abregu on July 17, 2010. Even though Abregu was bigger, Bradley was too fast and skilled. Bradley won the fight by a unanimous decision.

After this win, Bradley openly challenged other top boxers. He even called out Manny Pacquiao, who was one of the best boxers at the time.

Back to Light Welterweight

Unifying Titles with Devon Alexander

On January 29, 2011, Timothy Bradley fought Devon Alexander. Bradley held the WBO light welterweight title, and Alexander held the WBC title. Bradley won the fight in the tenth round. The fight was stopped because Alexander had a cut from an accidental headbutt. Bradley was given the win by technical decision.

After this fight, Bradley was supposed to fight Amir Khan. This fight would have combined even more titles. However, Bradley chose not to take the fight. He later said it was too risky. He wanted to keep his chance to fight Manny Pacquiao for a bigger prize. Because he did not fight, Bradley was stripped of his WBC title.

Fighting Joel Casamayor

Bradley then joined a new boxing company called Top Rank. His first fight with them was on November 12, 2011. He defended his WBO light welterweight title against Joel Casamayor. Bradley won the fight by TKO in the eighth round. This win helped him get closer to a fight with Manny Pacquiao.

Back to Welterweight Again

The First Fight Against Manny Pacquiao

Bradley fought Manny Pacquiao on June 9, 2012. This was for Pacquiao's WBO welterweight title. Bradley won the fight by a split decision. This means two judges scored for Bradley, and one scored for Pacquiao. This decision was very controversial. Many people thought Pacquiao had won. The decision ended Pacquiao's long winning streak.

Because of the controversy, the WBO created a special group of five judges. They watched the fight again. All five judges said Pacquiao should have won. However, WBO rules did not allow them to change the original decision. The only thing they could do was suggest a rematch.

Tough Fights and Close Wins

Bradley won a very close fight against Ruslan Provodnikov on March 16, 2013. This was for his WBO welterweight championship. Bradley fought very aggressively at the start. Provodnikov hit him with strong punches and hurt him early in the fight. Bradley later said he had a concussion from a punch in the first round. Bradley changed his style and boxed more carefully. He won most of the middle rounds. In the last round, Provodnikov hurt Bradley badly again. Bradley took a knee to get a knockdown call, which helped him recover. He won the fight by a unanimous decision.

Bradley then fought Juan Manuel Márquez on October 12, 2013. Márquez was also a highly ranked boxer. Bradley won this fight by a split decision. He even wobbled Márquez with a punch in the final round.

The Rematch with Manny Pacquiao

Bradley gave Manny Pacquiao a rematch on April 12, 2014. Many experts thought this second fight was closer than the first. But Pacquiao fought strongly in the second half. He won by a unanimous decision. This ended Bradley's undefeated record.

More Welterweight Challenges

After his first loss, Bradley fought Diego Chaves in December 2014. The fight ended in a controversial split-draw. This means one judge scored for Chaves, one for Bradley, and one scored it a tie. Many thought Bradley should have won.

Bradley then fought Jessie Vargas on June 27, 2015. Vargas was undefeated at the time. Bradley won the fight by a unanimous decision. This earned him the WBO interim welterweight title. A few days later, Floyd Mayweather was stripped of his WBO welterweight title. This was because he did not follow WBO rules. So, Bradley was made the full WBO welterweight champion.

Defending Against Brandon Ríos

On November 7, 2015, Bradley defended his WBO title against Brandon Ríos. Bradley had a new coach, Teddy Atlas, for this fight. Bradley won the fight by technical knockout in the ninth round. He knocked Ríos down with a body shot, then hit him with more punches. The referee stopped the fight.

The Third Fight with Manny Pacquiao

On December 30, 2015, it was announced that Manny Pacquiao would fight Bradley for a third time. This was planned to be Pacquiao's last professional fight. The fight took place on April 9, 2016. Pacquiao knocked Bradley down twice during the fight. He won by a unanimous decision. All three judges scored the fight for Pacquiao. Bradley said that Pacquiao was very strong and patient in the fight. Many experts thought this third fight was the best of their three matches.

Retirement from Boxing

On July 27, 2017, Timothy Bradley announced that he would retire from boxing. He said that after his tough fight with Ruslan Provodnikov, his speech was affected for a few weeks. But he recovered fully. On August 6, 2017, he officially retired after almost 12 years in the sport. He posted a message on Instagram, thanking his fans for their support.

Bradley ended his career with 33 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw. He had 13 knockouts.

Timothy Bradley's Life Outside the Ring

Bradley was born in Palm Springs, California, on August 29, 1983. He grew up in Cathedral City, California. Before becoming a professional boxer, he worked as a dishwasher and a waiter. He married his high school friend, Monica Manzo. He became a father to her two children, and together they have five children. In 2015, he received a special star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.

For some of his fights, Bradley followed a vegan diet. He said he first tried it before his fight against Junior Witter in 2008. He felt that the vegan diet gave him more energy and helped his reflexes. He stopped this diet before his fight with Jessie Vargas in 2015.

Timothy Bradley's Boxing Record

Pay-Per-View Fights

Timothy Bradley was part of several big boxing events that people paid to watch on TV. Here are some of them:

See also

In Spanish: Timothy Bradley para niños