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

"Hard to see how Bradley expects to win rounds like this. He's too composed, the pace is too light. On the outside Bradley has nothing but a right hand. Nothing."

- Farhood

 

Round 4

Bradley is scurrying in with a crab-walk, occasionally breaking into a lateral hop, not loosing the jab on the way in but rather pushing it once he is already leaping inside. Witter is baiting, standing in the center of the ring playing matador as Bradley comes at him, rotating his body 45° and scoring a right jab on Bradley's chin while pulling his upper body away to dodge Bradley's combination. Right jabs aplenty scoring high on the dome by Witter, favoring the southpaw stance and controlling distance, deterring Bradley with windmill right hooks, quick and sneaky when Bradley comes charging in low.

10-9 Witter

39-37 Witter

 

Round 5

Bradley is obeying the advice given to him by Joel Diaz in the corner, utilizing his forgotten-about jab on the body. Contact is limited but at least now Bradley isn't walking away from each attack empty-handed. Witter is taking a receipt every time he lingers in close to basting-mop the forehead of Bradley with his right jab. Bradley is boldly stepping in, jabbing the belt line, and springing at Witter with headhunting right hands, bouncing a few off the side of the champ's head as he escapes behind a smokescreen of Ferris-wheel outward right arm waves. Witter doing more tying up than countering.

10-9 Bradley

48-47 Witter

 

"It's very hard to see a single round to have given Bradley so far right now..."

- Farhood, halfway into the 6th.

 

Round 6

Bradley is staying in perpetual motion, jogging to his left, turning Witter constantly. Bradley leaps in and scores left jabs. Witter is orthodox, floating his own left mitt out to catch but ineffective with his timing. Witter reverts to southpaw as Bradley changes levels on his jab, constantly circling and pressing forward with rushes including jabs and wild leaping overhand rights. The master of awkwardness is getting a taste of his own medicine. Witter walks into a right hand counter while reaching in from outside with a right jab. Bradley walks him down, nearly to the ropes, and flies at him with an overhand right using his entire body weight - slamming Witter onto the canvas!! Up, poised - but now respectfully alert. No more showboating. Witter on his bike to run out the clock.

10-8 Bradley

57-56 Bradley

 

He said it before the knockdown, at least. :yep

...and he did agree with Nick when he said, a few seconds before the KD, that Bradley had put his stamp on the round entering the final minute.

 

Round 7

Bradley is jabbing the body, showing it up top and then sledding it down into Witter's waist, under his floating right glove. Bradley leaps in with the overhand right, still finding success with it though Witter has it scouted and is turning with it. Bradley is using jerky body-feints, making Witter circle away warily, right glove up, kept sheathed. Witter is cut by the right eye. Witter down, slip, attempting to grab Bradley around the waist. Bradley is caught with a counter left hand but keeps pressuring from outside, forcing Witter to react to body jabs and jab-feints and leaping in with rights.

10-9 Bradley

67-65 Bradley

 

Round 8

Bradley is ducking in beneath the outstretched lead glove of Witter - sometimes the right, sometimes the left, still changing it up frequently. Witter is cat-pawing down on Bradley's shoulders, arms lapping at him on the backfoot as he tries stemming the rushes with Bradley leading with his skull. Bradley is warned. Bradley is tickling Witter's belly with jabs, unable to reach him with his can-opener body hooks or heavy right hands up top as Witter leans back. Witter grabs when Bradley gets inside but is shaken off, Bradley exerting his physical strength.

10-9 Bradley

77-74 Bradley

 

Alexander - another American who made his bones beating Junior Witter around this time.

As of Bradley vs. Witter, nobody knew who Alexander was.

All he'd done was beat Chop Chop who was by then on a downward curve (with two additional consecutive defeats since Witter took his WBC title)