Eight years after his last professional fight, former two-division champion Tim Bradley says he “doesn’t miss anything about being in the ring.”
In conversation with Dr. Margaret Goodman and me latest episode our Warrior Health PodcastBradley has been one of the most open and honest boxers when it comes to discussing the dangers and challenges of his chosen profession, saying in no uncertain terms that he has not stepped foot since his 2016 loss to Manny Pacquiao. Between the ropes, he was delighted that it brought his career record to 33-2-1 (13 KOs). Diego Chaves, who escaped with a draw in a fight in December 2014, was the only opponent in Bradley’s career who failed to achieve his best result and was drafted in 2023 Hall of Fame.
“The ring is a very, very lonely place,” he explains. “The hours in the gym; the miles on the road; it’s a little too much. You get exhausted. In terms of my style of boxing, not being a high-powered boxer, being smaller and having shorter arms, you have to get into that. Being a big guy at 147 pounds, even at 140 pounds, you know, it’s dangerous, I’m not going to lie, so I don’t miss fighting in the ring at all.”
Bradley, who turned pro in August 2004 after “about 145” amateur fights, often did things the hard way.
He traveled to England to face the highly regarded WBC 140-pound titleholder Junior Witter and left the country with the belt. He won the first of three fights against Pacquiao despite an ankle injury that left him in a wheelchair during the post-fight press conference, despite the fact that there was little outside of the ringside referee. He was thought to be particularly close to winning. He delivered arguably the best performance of his career, defeating future Hall of Famer Juan Manuel Marquez, a match that followed his most intense encounter in the ring – with An almost unimaginably violent conflict left Ruslan Provodnikov with serious and lingering health problems.
Bradley revealed that he had opportunities to cut corners on his way to the top, but he steadfastly refused to consider them.
“Has anyone given me performance-enhancing drugs?” he asked rhetorically. “Oh my god, yes, I am. Yes, I am. And the guy who gave me doping is no longer in my life because I can’t believe it. I’m surprised that guy would Ask me this. My career has been built on hard work. My dad has pushed me through hard training; training camps over and over again. Got me.
“I don’t need to take performance-enhancing drugs at all to do my job in the ring. I don’t need it. I believe in myself and I have too much respect for the sport and too much respect for my opponents to cheat — -A certain advantage over my opponent. I don’t want that. I like the challenge.”
At times, however, the fight seemed too much to bear – especially after a brutal encounter with Provodnikov in March 2013.
Bradley, unhappy with the reaction to his official victory over Pacquiao in his previous fight, set out to make a statement against the relatively abrasive but aggressive Russian, but almost immediately found himself in trouble. An apparent takedown in the opening round was mistakenly ruled a slip by referee Pat Russell, and Provodnikov’s offense in the second round allowed Bradley to hang on on the rubber leg. In a big hole, Bradley used all his heart and wits to get on the scorecards with expert boxing skills, leaving his opponent with chops above and below his left eye. However, the Russian kept chasing and in the 12th and final round he broke through again, knocking Bradley to the canvas in the final seconds, but ultimately lost in a tight fight that saw him fall to the canvas in the final seconds. Americans suffered severely.
Bradley said he suffered from “headaches” for months afterward [and] mood swings.” He had “difficulty sleeping; light sensitivity; dizziness,” as well as problems with his balance and awareness of body position and movement.
“I’m out,” he said. “I would walk and I thought I would clear a corner, but actually, I didn’t quite clear it and I would hit it with my shoulder. I would bend down to pick something up and trip. I was kind of slurring my speech.”
Bradley said the fact that recovery took months and that it only took that long is a testament to his wife Monica’s determination.
Monica Bradley explained: “She was adamant about getting me help. She reached out to everyone. I went to the concussion specialist in Pittsburgh; I went there and had all these different tests, And did a color MRI of my brain. They told me, ‘Listen, right now, from the damage we’re seeing, there’s no doubt in our mind that you’re going to have CTE. , you should retire. “I thought, ‘Well, I’m not ready. I can’t retire just yet. “But deep down I felt – something wasn’t right.”
Nine months later, Bradley put up a boxing masters match, defeating Marquez, but he was finished after five fights. He retired at the relatively young age of 32 and effortlessly worked as a boxing analyst for ESPN and appeared regularly on ProBox TV.
Still, the idea that his brain is now a ticking time bomb that might explode with CTE at some point must be weighing heavily on him?
“Every fighter knows what they signed up for,” he insisted. “Every fighter. We know. We know what comes with this boxing match; we understand. It’s a tough sport. It’s a tough way to make a living. We know the consequences or the possibilities of it, and we All agree. I know that things will eventually change when I get older, but for now, I’m trying to maintain; I’m trying to keep fit; I’m trying to eat much better than I used to; I’m trying to lose weight, at least. Trying to stall for time is the best part of doing it. It keeps working my brain.”
Bradley was determined not to let his children follow him into the ring. While his boxing career brought him fame and wealth, he also endured some costs so they wouldn’t have to.
“I always used to tell my wife before a fight, I’d say, ‘Hey, come here. Come to my room. I want to talk to you,'” he said. “I’d tell her, ‘Hey, look at me. Look into my eyes.’ We’d sit together, hold hands, and I’d say, ‘Look at me now. I’m doing this for our family. That’s it I’m doing this. I’m saying, ‘Look into my eyes because you’re seeing people right now. It’s not going to be the same person that comes out of that ring. Every time I walk out of the ring, I’m going to be a little bit different, we’re going to cry, she’s going to leave, I’m going to get ready, go to the locker room, get ready to go to war. But it’s always going to be that. A serious conversation with my wife. She doesn’t want to live like that anymore.”
Under the circumstances, Bradley could be forgiven for any ambivalence toward the sport that dominates his life. But not only does he not resent what the sport has brought to him, but he still loves everything the sport has brought to him. He was awarded a spot in the Hall of Fame for his contributions on the field, and now he’s completely focused on putting on his headset and doing his best off the field.
“I absolutely love boxing,” he asserts. “It’s part of my life and it has to be part of my life. Canelo said it best: “Boxing is life. ”
“I feel better when I’m around it; looking at it. I love [doing] Comment. I like to have my say on this. I watch boxing matches every day. This is what I do. Just like when I fight in the ring, I also work as a commentator and analyst. I always have to know what’s going on. I have to be alert at all times. I must always listen. So it doesn’t change for me. This is who I am; this is who I am. I always have to do my best. So boxing is life to me and whether I comment or not, I have to talk about boxing because it makes me feel complete. “
