Former two-weight world champion Timothy Bradley has once again stood by his controversial claim that he beat Manny Pacquiao in their first meeting, despite almost universal consensus to the contrary.
The 2012 clash at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas remains one of the most disputed decisions of the modern era, with Bradley awarded a split decision that stunned the boxing world.
While Pacquiao went on to dominate both rematches, Bradley continues to maintain that he did enough to earn the initial victory.
“This is a gladiator sport, this is what I signed up for, and we don’t lay down. We have to endure whatever we need to endure. That’s what champions are made of, and so I decided to stay in the fight and fight hard and fight my fight. But that was tough to deal with,” Bradley told Top Rank on the backlash he faced after the verdict.
Bradley: ‘I believed I was going to win’
Bradley revealed that, with such confidence heading into the bout, he had already printed rematch posters before the fight even took place.
“A lot of people don’t know, but before that fight, I was so confident in myself that I had rematch posters printed out for the Pacquiao vs Bradley rematch.”
On whether he believes he won, ‘Desert Storm’ added, “Absolutely. Believe it or not, a lot of people actually picked me to win the fight.
“A lot of boxing pundits. I know that the mass consensus was that he was going to beat me, but there were a lot of guys who picked me to win.
“Max Kellerman picked me, Emanuel Steward picked me, and these are serious boxing analysts and trainers. Guys that I respect in the game.”
Bradley explained that he felt his youth, strength, and the tough road he had taken to the top gave him the edge.
“I felt confident enough because I was younger, and I felt I was stronger. I had fought great competition in the lead-up, and I felt like I never had an easy path.
“So I thought, ‘this is my time, I am going to beat him,’ and that’s what those posters were made for. To let everybody know there was going to be a second fight.”
WBN scorecards tell a different story
World Boxing News had all three encounters scored heavily in Pacquiao’s favor, underlining just how dominant the Filipino icon was throughout their trilogy.
Pacquiao vs Bradley I (2012): WBN 118-110 Pacquiao
Pacquiao vs Bradley II (2014): WBN 118-111 Pacquiao
Pacquiao vs Bradley III (2016): WBN 117-109 Pacquiao
Despite Bradley’s insistence, Pacquiao’s speed, timing, and ring generalship were clear from start to finish across all three fights.
While the official record books show Bradley with one win, history and most of the boxing fraternity still recognize Pacquiao as the true victor of the first bout and the trilogy overall.
About the Author
Phil Jay is a veteran boxing journalist with over 15 years of experience covering the global fight scene. As Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News since 2010, Jay has interviewed dozens of world champions and reported ringside on boxing’s biggest nights. [View all articles by Phil Jay] and learn more about his work in combat sports journalism.
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