It's been 10 days since Tim Bradley upset Manny Pacquiao in the "Decision Heard 'Round the World." The 28-year-old fighter nicknamed "The Desert Storm" took Pacquiao's WBO welterweight title that June 9th evening at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and the Palm Springs, Calif., native has taken mostly flak ever since from people who blame him for winning the split decision.
Two judges scored it 115-113 for Bradley and the third had the same score for Pacquiao.
Tuesday night, Bradley talked about the fight and its explosive and sometimes painful aftermath with The(Palm Springs) Desert Sun in a live video chat.
"The first couple days it was kind of hard on me. the bashing I was taking from fans and media, and I didn't have anything to do with it," Bradley told the Desert Sun's Leighton Ginn.
"The fight was close. It could've went either way. and a lot of people say it's my fault. I'm like, 'dude, I just fought a fight. I don't know those judges. Why discredit me? I did what I needed to do and everybody should just back off of me."
A hometown rally on Saturday, Bradley said, has helped turn things around. "I had a lot of fans embracing me and respecting what I did on June 9th," he said. "I'm in a better place now. My mind-set is great. I feel nobody can stop me now."
Bradley dealt with every aspect of the fight in his chat, from the possible rematch to his thoughts on Pacquiao's declining skills.
• A rematch: "If we're going to do it, I can't wait. . . . (Top Rank chairman) Bob Arum said it's going to be a hard sell. He said we have to get the confidence back in the fans. . . . I think the rematch should happen. The fight was very close and it could've gone either way, regardless of what happened. I'm all for it. November 10th — let's do it. . . . all this would be taken away if we just sat down and did the rematch and settled it once and for all."
• On his injured ankles, which doctors say will take another month to heal: "The fact is, I was injured in the fight and still fought to the best of my abilities. And nobody knew I was injured. That's says a lot about myself and how hard I work. Just imagine me with two good wheels. . . . I'll be back and I'll be back a lot stronger. I still have something to prove in this game.
• If the rematch doesn't happen: "I honestly don't care who I fight. I went 12 rounds with the best fighter in the world. Cameron Dunkin, my manager, and Top Rank they handle that. Whatever they say. . . . I'll take on anybody. Amir Khan, Canelo (Alvarez), Klitschko, it don't matter. I just want the big fights. If Khan is the big fight and we can make it happen, why not? let's do it."
• On fighting Floyd Mayweather: Boxing is a business and I'm well known now with all this controversy. But I think Mayweather is the best fighter in the world and he can pick and choose who he wants to face. If he doesn't want to face me, he doesn't have to. He's all about money: If you don't make dollars, it don't make sense. Me having a small fan base would jeopardize me fighting Mayweather.
"But I'd love to fight Mayweather. I feel he needs to learn, too. . . . I went a tough 12 rounds with Manny Pacquiao, and I'll go a tough 12 rounds with Floyd, too, just to prove that I'm the best fighter in the world."
• On giving his belt back: "The fact that (Pacquiao's) an icon, one of the biggest names in boxing, and he lost to little old Timothy Bradley, people can't understand that. I'm not going to give back the title. I'm still the welterweight champion of the world, I'm still 29-0 and I feel I won the fight. There has never been a fighter in the history of boxing who ever gave his title back. . . . Let's (vacate) the belt and let's fight for it."
• On the judging controversy: "Boxing is definitely about money, and I feel a lot of people are upset because they lost a lot of money that night, including MGM, they lost a lot of money that night."
• On his gameplan for the Pacquiao fight: "All I wanted to do was counterpunch this guy. I didn't want to fight (him). The original plan was to lay back and let Pacquiao come to me, the same gameplan (Juan Manuel) Marquez used each time. And every time he leaps in, just take a couple of steps back and counterpunch. But I had to abort that with the ankle injuries and I had to just stand there and fight him."
• On strategy for a second fight with Pacquiao: "Take nothing away, Pacquiao istough. He can explode at any moment. All I have to do is move. Just move. It's frustrating for Pacquiao to have to chase you around. He likes to sit and land his power shots. If he has to pick up his feet, he's vulnerable. All I gotta do is move. I don't care if they know the gameplan. All I'm going to do is outbox him. . . . He can't hang with me as far as my intensity level and what I bring. The second fight will be a lot more serious and a lot more dangerous for him."
• On Pacquiao's skills: "I think he's declining. He had me hurt in the ninth round and couldn't finish me. The old Manny could've done that. I think he's worn out. . . . This guy hits really hard, he's supposed to be the best fighter in the world and he couldn't hurt me. And I had two flat tires."
• On Pacquiao making the world wait before their fight: "I thought that was very disrespectful to make everyone wait an hour."
• On a proposed Federal Boxing Commission: "This is what I've been preaching. We need somebody looking out for the sport. If they can pull it off, I'm all for it because we need protection. There are a lot of fighters who are broke who used to have money. They need protection. . . . I think the judging is pretty good, though, especially in Nevada."
• On what's next: "Everybody's going up to 147 (pounds), so I'm going to stay at 147 and vacate my 140-pound belt."
• Biggest change in his life since the fight: "Just trying to go anywhere. It's tough. But that's the price you pay."
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