INDIO, California – For Timothy Bradley, giving up the WBO welterweight championship in favor of another shot at beating Manny Pacquiao is worth it.
The 32-year-old fighter vacated the title instead of going through a mandatory defense in order to pursue a third fight with Pacquiao.
And his reasons are obviously justified.
“I gave up my title for this bout because obviously, you know, first thing's first: it (Pacquiao rubber match) is more lucrative,” he told media members after an open workout at a gym Friday in Indio, California (Saturday in Manila).
“Two, this match means a lot for my career right now,” Bradley continued.
He said he wants to be remembered as one of the fighters who defeated Pacquiao, who will go down in history as one of the all-time greats.
Such a feat means a lot more than holding an alphabet title.
“Getting a win over a legend, an icon like Manny Pacquiao, a fighter that's been reigning for over a decade now. You can be remembered forever for that,” he added.
Bradley did not receive much credit after defeating Pacquiao via a controversial decision the first time they met in 2012. He tried to prove that wasn’t a fluke, but failed when he lost to Pacquiao in their rematch two years later.
On April 9 in Las Vegas (April 10 in Manila), Bradley has another chance at joining other stars who bested Pacquiao, including Erik Morales, Juan Manuel Marquez and most recently Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“I wanna be talked about. Every time they bring up Manny Pacquiao's name in the future, guess what? I wanna be mentioned alongside those lines,” he said.
Bradley has a little over a week to get the job done.
“That's what this fight is about.”