Inside The Mind Of Timothy Bradley

Michael Nelson takes a look at what's making Timothy Bradley a special fighter.

Bernard Hopkins is widely considered as boxing's smartest fighter, and it's tough to argue that he isn't. But a case can be made that Timothy Bradley's ring smarts are the best of the new guard. His preparation, versatility, and ability to adapt makes him extremely difficult to beat. And similar to how some pundits were shocked when a perceived stereotypical, rough-around-the-edges Philly fighter boxed the ears off of Felix Trinidad, it seems many are surprised whenever Bradley boxes circles around a new adversary.

Bradley's dynamic performance Saturday night against a determined Lamont Peterson served the boxing world notice that it's time to stop being surprised. Timothy's a chameleon that adapts so well, he looks like a different fighter whenever he steps inside the ring.

Let's take a look at some of the reasons Bradley's ring IQ is peaking into rarefied air.

Excellent Corner Work

Joell Diaz isn't simply a motivational speaker sprinkling in general suggestions such as 'use the jab', his observations are detailed, sharp, and concise. Diaz rightfully admonished Bradley for languishing on the inside during the scintillating third round Saturday, in which Peterson landed several hard body shots. Bradley took note and picked Lamont apart from the outside for much of the remainder of the bout.

Diaz gives the right advice and Bradley's a good listener. It seems simple, but it's a dynamic that's missing in too many corners.

Preparation

Bradley studies tape of his opponents incessantly. And frankly, I'm not sure why any fighter (or their trainer) wouldn't pour over tapes. As with any other sport, it's just the smart thing to do.

It's clear that Timothy has a perspicuous idea of what his foe is going to do through his studies; him and his team tailors a gameplan to exploit any weaknesses and tendencies. Which leads to...

Adaptation

In every one of his championship fights, Bradley added a wrinkle to his game or used a different tool as a primary weapon.

Against Junior Witter, he took advantage of Witter's tendency to pull back with his chin in the air by throwing a number of overhand rights. Many remember this fight as Bradley simply outworking Witter, but that really wasn't the case. He threw far less punches than we're accustomed to seeing him throw, and Witter nearly equaled his output. It was a chess match through and through. In the end, the wily southpaw was soundly outboxed.

Against Edner Cherry, Bradley showcased his footwork, displaying that he was much lighter on his feet than he was in his ShoBox days. Although it was a relatively easy night, it was the sloppiest performance of his championship run, as Cherry fought him on even terms during a final stretch marred with constant clinching. Still, there were long periods where a disheartened Cherry hit nothing but air.

Against Kendall Holt, Bradley was a bull focused on cutting off the ring. The bookending knockdowns and Holt's heavy, well-timed jab gave some the impression that Bradley wasn't responsible defensively. But Holt whiffed on most of his power shots and was kept off balance by feints to go along with persistent jabs to the body. After squaring himself up a handful of times in the early going (and paying for it), Bradley got his feet under him as the bout progressed.

Against Nate Campbell, Bradley added a compact left hook to his arsenal. Prior to the fight, I assumed that Nate was going to eat Bradley up on the inside. But the young man held his own in close by pressing his shoulder against Campbell's and throwing double and triple left hooks. Although they weren't damaging blows, they scored points.

Against Peterson, Bradley threw more uppercuts, hook-uppercut hybrids, and shots aimed between the gloves than he ever has in a televised fight. His footwork was also a bit more dazzling than it was in his bouts with Cherry and Campbell, as he was able to throw combinations and spin away seamlessly.

This level of preparation, adaptation, and versatility is part of what makes him such an intriguing figure to watch. Is it safe to say anyone around his weight class beats him when he's evolving with each fight? What would he pull out his hat for established pound for pound stars such as Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather?

I would love to find out.

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