BRADLEY: "RIGHT NOW, I AM BLAZING FAST AT 152 POUNDS"
By John McCormick

JM: How is training camp at this point, heading into your June 9th bout against Manny Pacquiao?

Timothy Bradley: Wonderful, training camp has been wonderful. There has been a lot of hard work but there is still a lot of time before the fight. It may appear as if it is right around the corner by there is still a lot of time because I am in tremendous shape right now, so I have to stay conscious of that and not over train. I am in great shape right now. Twelve rounds? No problem, I can go twelve rounds right now if I had to.

JM: You say that you are ready for twelve rounds right now; are you sparring for twelve rounds on a consistent basis in training camp yet?

TB: No, not yet but I know if I need to I can. You know, right now I am sparring nine or ten rounds consistently. I know I can go twelve easily but right now I am sparring nine and ten rounds. I’ll vary it though, some days I go six rounds and then other days I’ll go ten rounds, so we vary it.

JM: Manny Pacquiao has been coming in a few pounds south of the welterweight limit in his past few fights. This fight is set for the welterweight limit of 147 pounds, do you plan on coming in lighter than 147 or do you plan on coming in at 147 pounds exactly?

Timothy Bradley: I plan on coming in at 147 pounds on the dot. A few weeks ago, I was telling people that I would be coming in at 145 pounds but now I say that I am going to come in at 147 pounds on the dot because right now I am blazing fast at 152 pounds. I think 147 pounds would be perfect because I think the extra weight will work in my favor.

JM: I don’t know if you keep up with all of the current boxing news but Alex Ariza (Manny Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach since 2008) had left Pacquiao in the Philippines during the middle of training camp to go and work with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. back in the States. Now there appears to be some sort of tension between Ariza and Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach. What are your thoughts on all of this?

Timothy Bradley: It is what it is. Maybe Manny Pacquiao didn’t want to do something that Ariza wanted him to do. It was probably something like that and then he decided to leave. I really don’t know man but this here is a big fight and I know that Ariza is Pacquiao’s right hand man when it comes to nutrition and conditioning. With that being said, I don’t understand why Ariza would have left him. I think that will benefit us in the long run. A fighter can say things don’t bother him but in reality, they do. That definitely benefits us and I hope Pacquiao is ready.

JM: I know that you are currently training in California. When are you planning on transitioning to Las Vegas?

Timothy Bradley: I’ll head to Vegas the week before. The climate is the same but I am sure there may be some adjustments that need to be made so I will head out there a week before the fight. I don’t want to head out there too soon and be walking around the hotel two weeks before the fight, inhaling all that smoke in the casino. I’ll head there the week before the fight, hang out, relax, and get into my zone while I am out there.

JM: The last time that we talked, you told me that “If I can take Manny Pacquiao’s punch, it will be a long night for him.” At the time, you seemed a bit unsure of your ability to take his punch. Now, I know that you still are unaware of his power until you get into the ring with him but are you gaining some confidence in your chin as training camp is peaking?

Timothy Bradley: I ain’t going anywhere, man. I ain’t going anywhere. I’ll be right there and when he does hit me and I taste it, it will be a war. To be honest with you, this guy is going to need to hit me with a bat because my chin is feeling solid and I ain’t going anywhere. I am confident, hungry, and determined. I am not going to be stopped, period; plain and simple. I am in tremendous shape right now; everybody will see the type of shape that I am in at the weigh in and it will show on fight night. My game plan for Pacquiao is tremendous and I can’t wait for June 9th so I can show everyone what I have been talking about for these past few months. I am going to pull off the upset and after June 9th nobody will want to see Mayweather-Pacquiao.

JM: With all of the recent bad decisions in boxing, are you worried about going to Las Vegas and facing the possibility of going against Pacquiao and the judges, if the fight is close down the stretch?

Timothy Bradley: That is always a thought but I am not too worried about the judges taking the fight away from me. A lot of people say that they may because if Manny loses, a fight with Mayweather would be ruined but that fight should’ve happened already. That fight is never going to happen, especially after I get done with Pacquiao on June 9th. I am not worried about the judges because I am a new, young lion in boxing. I want to be the new face of boxing in the years to come. Manny Pacquiao is on his way out and the winner that night will get the victory. It’ll be sad if I beat him and it doesn’t go that way but I believe I will get the victory, I am not worried about it.

JM: Any closing thoughts for the fans?

Timothy Bradley: I want to thank all my fans out there for all the support; I love all of you guys. I want to thank Boxingtalk for doing this interview. I definitely want to let the fans know that I am going to put it all on the line; I want to give the fans what they are paying for, which is a fight. I want to give the fans something that they can remember and talk about years from now. I believe it will be a memorable event for everybody and it will be a great show. I don’t want the fight to end on any head-butt or anything like that; I want a good, clean fight. I hope that Pacquiao comes ready to fight clean and our heads don’t collide because I will make sure to fight clean. My team is aware of the potential for a clash of heads since Pacquiao is southpaw, so we are working on it so that we can give the fans what they are paying for.

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