By Rudy Mondragon

Another great fight for the fall season of boxing. Even better for this fight however, is that these two fighters make for a great match up. WBO Welterweight Champion, Timothy Bradley (30-0, 12 KOs) will take on boxing veteran and professor of the game,  Juan Manuel Marquez 55-6-1, 40 KOs) on the night of October 12, 2013.

This fight means a lot for both fighters. For Bradley, it means that he can further make the case that he is an elite fighter and that his win versus Manny Pacquiao was legit. It is also an opportunity for Bradley to beat a future hall of famer and use that to increase his boxing stock and value. For Marquez, this fight is simple. It is an opportunity to close out his career versus the man who was finally able to beat Manny Pacquiao after dominating the sport since 2005. By beating Bradley, Marquez will become the first Mexican fighter to hold world titles in 5 different weight classes. 

There are a couple of questions that i have about both fighters that will make the difference tomorrow night. At age 40, will Marquez get old tomorrow night? With his most recent KO win over Manny Pacquiao, has Marquez become complacent and content? Is Bradley still impacted by his recent war with Russian Ruslan Provodnikov? Can Bradley make the transition to becoming a self guided fighter with corner guidance or will he make bad decisions and disregarded his corner? In an effort to prove himself, will Bradley’s risk make him too vulnerable against a fighter like Marquez?

These are the questions… Will answers come tomorrow? Maybe. For now, here are my keys to victory: 

Timothy Bradley:

1. Take advantage of your youth. Bradley is no doubt the younger fighter and he will need to use this to his advantage in a carefully boxed fight in order to get the decision.
2. Take risks and put some weight behind his punches. If Bradley see’s a window of opportunity, he will need to put his weight into his punches and try to hurt Marquez. This will make him vulnerable, but Timothy proved to have a chin against Ruslan.
3. Bradley needs to listen to his corner and not get caught up in the hype of the fight. Although Bradley still needs to prove himself to the boxing community, he needs to take informed and strategic risks and not allow Marquez to counter him and break him down.

Juan Manuel Marquez

1. Assess the situation and adjust accordingly. Marquez will need to see what kind of power Bradley has as well as the game plan he brings (counter, high pressure, etc).
2. Be patient and set traps. Marquez might have to take the fight to Bradley. If this is the case, he will need to not be too aggressive in his attack, but instead initiate an attack that will draw in Bradley and then counter Bradley’s attack. Bradley’s is not a great counterpuncher, so if Marquez can draw Bradley in, Marquez will win the battle of counter punching. 
3. Bradley likes to lead with his head and fight at close quarters. This is where Marquez shines. He will need to connect some uppercuts, which will be open all night if Bradley wants to fight in a phone booth.  

Prediction

I see this fight going in Marquez’s favor. Bradley is still hurt from his last fight, especially since he said he suffered a concussion and was slurring his words weeks after that fight. Not only was Bradley physically hurt, he was also mentally. The mental part of the game is big. Although Marquez is not a hard hard hard puncher, he has flush accurate punches that break his opponents down. Marquez might not be as motivated against Bradley as we was for Pacquiao, but Marquez is a mature fighter. All fights are different and mean a variety of things and for Marquez, this fight will be viewed as his most important fight in his career.  I can see Bradley taking the kind of risks that will make him vulnerable and a target for Marquez. Marquez will counter him and break his man down. His corner will urge him to adjust, but by the time Timothy makes the necessary changes, it will be too late. As long as Marquez does not get old, Marquez will win a decision against the durable Timothy Bradley. 

Marquez wins via unanimous decision in 12 rounds

Thoughts Blood Money Boxing fam?