This came to me while viewing the comments in the "if Bradley stayed at LWW" thread earlier (http://www.boxingforum24.com/showthread.php?t=543039): 2006/2007: Floyd turned down a fight with Margarito so he would not be tied down to another Top Rank contract. Instead fought Baldomir followed by a fight with the biggest star in the sport, De La Hoya, in the biggest fight of all time (at the time) making by far he biggest purse of his career. 2011/2012: Bradley turned down a fight with Khan so he would not be tied down to another Gary Shaw contract. Instead he signed with Top Rank, fought Casamayor followed by a fight with PacMan, joint biggest star and join best fighter in the sport making by far the biggest purse of his career. The two situations are almost identical. Yet Floyd is still called a ducker 9 years later but today in the Bradley thread people praise him and rightly say he made the best choice for his career and bank account. Why is this?
Because Mayweather is a loudmouth who never lost. Lots of people want to see this guy lose and it hasn't happened yet. Lots of people were killing Bradley until he lost to Pacquiao. He was getting death threats after getting the decision in their first fight.
The whole death threat thing is exaggerated. It was just marketing to get interest in the 2nd fight, which wasn't needed considering the 1st was one-sided robbery. I would be laughing at boxing_master if he sent a death threat.
Don't think those are too comparable, Bradley turned down the #1 challenger to take on a shot Casamayor, Mayweather skipped the then #2/3 rated WW to take on the Legitimate WW Champ. As far as matchups both ended in SD Hoya-PBF was really a 9-3 fight Pac-TB I can see anywhere from 7-5Tim to 8-4Pac. Officially both won both gained in the end but one took on the best fighter in the division, the other a shot fighter that's 2 division's smaller.
Are you saying Pacquiao was shot or Casamayor? Cause Pacquiao isn't and was not 'shot' if he's shot, he's still good enough to beat anyone except Floyd and he'll always give Marquez absolute hell.
Baldomir, 2006 >>>>> Casamayor, 2011 but otherwise yes, the same principle and a comparable example. No way were Floyd or Bradley doing anything but the right and best thing each time. Floyd still takes flack from only strong haters for "ducking Margarito" while Bradley still takes flack from only strong haters for "ducking Khan." Silly notions, both of them.
I was comparing more level of fighter's business wise both made the right decision although Bradley is on record at the time saying he didn't fight Khan because of the chance at losing not any contract issues. He very well could have fought Khan & Pacquiao.
Moronic Floydettes in this thread. No one actually thinks Bradley ducked Khan. Margarito was a far greater threat to Floyd than Khan ever was to Bradley. atsch
At that time Margarito was a threat to anybody without a metal plate in their skull. But he was a flat footed come forward fighter that you guys criticize Floyd about every thread, right?:huh
A further difference is that Mayweather left Top Rank rather than going to them. And clearly anyone who would ever dare go against Bob Arum is objectively bad for boxing.
I don't get what the premise of the thread is, so what if it's loosely similar to Mayweather's career arc until the pacman fight, I'm sure there's plenty of similar storylines, it's not really anything worth discussing, they aren't going to fight and aren't competing for ATG status. Bradley is a very good fighter mind you, he lost to Manny twice, no big deal. The problem is he has nobody left to fight over at top rank.
You must not have been following boxing or at least the opinion of other fans back then if you believe that. Still to this day, actually. So you seem in denial with this one.
