Airing now on Showtime Extreme: Timothy Bradley vs. Junior Witter - May 10, 2008

The performance that broke Desert Storm onto the world scene. :good

 

Before this, Bradley was a mere prospect having fought a few times on ShoBox. Few if any had anticipated he was ready to relieve Witter of his title on the road.

The champ was riding an eight year unbeaten 21-0 streak going back to his 2000 loss to Zab Judah while still green and pushed too far too fast - a streak in which he essentially cleaned out the European scene before obtaining the storied green belt and defending it twice. Bradley, nearly as green as Witter had been in his challenge of Judah, was coming off a victory over "El Titere" Miguel Ángel Vázquez, but nobody yet knew how meaningful that was as neither Bradley nor Vázquez had accomplished much by that point - certainly nothing comparing with the excellent run on which Junior Witter had been.

 

Warning: this may be an emotional watch for some.

Steve Farhood & Nick Charles called the action...

 

The betting money line was:

Witter -550
Bradley +350

:yikes

Most experts, including the commentators - as well as yours truly - expected Witter to easily repel the American challenger with his craftiness and experience.

 

This was before I did the whole score-along thing, so I'll do it now. :good

 

Round 1

Bradley is ducking inside and throwing lead hooks, planting his lead foot in, toe lined up inside the right foot of Witter. Tie-up as Witter flings both arms out around Bradley stepping through a hook and turning so it slides across his back. Bradley works the body. Witter is switching from orthodox to southpaw, feeling Bradley out, pawing with jabs to vacuum up Bradley's fists. Witter pops Bradley with a lowered boom on the forehead as Bradley is slashing at the body. Witter brushes the brow of Bradley with the jab as Bradley spreads his base wide and digs a stiff jab on the waistline.

10-9 Witter, close

 

Farhood getting on Bradley's case in the 1st about his strategy, admonishing him for starting too slow and wasting a feeling-out round in hostile territory against the "vastly superior" Witter. :yep

 

Round 2

Bradley is dipping in, jabbing the body, whipping up left hooks at the elusive head of Witter. Jabs from both stances by Witter, stepping back to switch and then gently touching down with his alternating lead foot to brush with the jab. Lefty to righty and back again, spiraling around the Golden Palace logo and ramming into Bradley, starboard to port, tying up as Bradley thumps in body hooks during his short available window of infighting. Light jabs and halfway-there feints by Witter, mostly southpaw. Bradley pecks away, high and low with the jab, knees deeply bent, closing distance and getting tied up. Witter has no desire to fight in the pocket if he mustn't.

10-9 Bradley

19-19

 

Round 3

Bradley is missing jabs on the outside and getting fewer opportunities to hook as Witter is controlling range. Witter is zigzagging the ring and using quick lifts, shoes just caressing the canvas and never dropping the heel, moving from medium to long range, letting the right jab flow into Bradley's face and taking long swooping leg-drag steps in to swallow him up into clinches when Bradley squats and submarines in.

10-9 Witter

29-28 Witter