In terms of talent and championship pedigree, the October 12 fight between Juan Manuel Marquez and Timothy Bradley is worthy and intriguing. Furthermore, both men have also won world titles in multiple weight classes and contested genuinely marquee fights.
Marquez (55-6-1, 40 KO) is, unequivocally, one of the greatest fighters of his generation, and Bradley (30-0, 12 KO), at 29, is in his prime and has shown an uncanny penchant for winning in the face of adversity.
Added to this is that Marquez is fresh off of a scintillating, frightening and vindicating knockout of Manny Pacquiao, while Bradley’s last outing amounted to his most exciting performance to date when he rallied from multiple knockdowns to win a tight decision over Russian banger Ruslan Provodnikov.
So, given Marquez and Bradley’s combination of momentum, skill and experience, why is their fight likely to disappoint?
While Marquez-Bradley is certainly a worthy matchup, it is a fight that has seemingly been thrust upon boxing fans and pundits. Surely there was greater demand to see Marquez fight Pacquiao a fifth time, and while Bradley helped his marketability with his performance against Provodnikov, he apparently balked at a rematch with Pacquiao, according to the latter’s camp, per ESPN UK.
The benefits and rewards that will go to the winner of Marquez-Bradley are somewhat unclear. But there’s also the reality of clashing styles and disproportionate expectations that could contribute to an underwhelming fight. Hopefully, Marquez-Bradley will exceed expectation; in the meantime, let’s explore the reasons to be skeptical.
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