As expected, last night’s HBO Face Off between Juan Manuel Marquez and Timothy Bradley found both men respectful of each other’s achievements. Marquez, whose English has improved tremendously over the last few years, lauded Bradley as a boxer who “brings the fight” and will be difficult to KO. Bradley praised Marquez’s craftiness and revealed his plan to be an elusive target. HeĀ admitted the toe to toe, brutal warfare he showed against RuslanĀ Provodnikov would be unwise against one the game’s elite counter-punchers.
Two other things stood out. First, there were no questions about the drug testing back and forth that previously made Bradley threaten to cancel the bout. Secondly, Bradley disclosed that it took two months to recover from the ProvidnikovĀ concussion. It’s anybody’s guess right now if Provodnikov made a permanent dent in Bradley’s armor.
Bradley vs. Marquez takes place on October 12 live on HBO pay-per-view.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 