Bradley going Old School for Saturday's fight

DETROIT -- If Tim Bradley has his way, there will be a throwback, beat-down in Motown on Saturday night.

The WBO champion is planning to go old school on southpaw WBC counter part Devon Alexander when they meet for their HBO televised junior welterweight (140 pounds) title bout at the Pontiac Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich.

Throughout his career, the 27-year-old Bradley (26-0, 11 knockouts) has idolized past fighters such as world champions, Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, Shane Mosley, Marvin Hagler, Aaron Pryor and Sugar Ray Leonard, to name a few.

Bradley plans to pay homage to Hagler and Leonard, who scored knockouts in the third, and, 14th rounds, respectively, in classic bouts against Thomas Hearns, when Bradley enters the ring against the 23-year-old Alexander (21-0, 13 KOs) wearing similar garb as his heroes did, according to his manager, Cameron Dunkin.

"Timmy's going to be wearing an outfit that is more like a throwback to the 1980s. High socks and short shorts. And he's going to come out like some of the fighters who were his idols in the 80s instead of the long trunks down to the knees," said Dunkin. "He's going to wear his shorts the way that guys like Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler wore them. It's his way of going back to the ways of the 1980s for this fight."

Dunkin said that it appears that Bradley's complete wardrobe will be comprised of the colors light and dark blue.

"He said that he liked Marvin Hagler. I think that he says that it was the Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns fight because he feels like he's going to be more like a Hagler against Alexander, because he's short and he's got to go after him. Timmy is a historian. He watches a lot of the old tapes and he really keeps track of them and he learns from the old tapes," said Dunkin.

"He feels that the other guy is going to be throwing bombs at him, and that's the way that he sees this fight," said Dunkin. "I think that he sees it as a parallel between the Hagler-Hearns fight and the Leonard-Hearns fight. I want to see a little more Leonard, but, you know, he wants to be a little more like Hagler."

Bradley also said that he most feels that his style resembles the short, but agressive Holyfield and Pryor.

"I always like guys that show determination and heart. Evander Holyfield was a small heavyweight, but he was facing big giants. But they would hit him once, and he would hit them twice, really hard back, and that's what I like about certain fighters who have that tenacity," said Bradley.

"You know, and that's what attracted me to guys like Holyfield and Aaron Pryor. So, yeah, I could say that we have a little bit of a similar relationship," said Bradley. "There's a little bit of a similar corrolation because that's the way that I fight. You hit me hard, I'm going to hit you back hard."

During his open media Tuesday workout at the famed Kronk Gym, it was Hearns who showed up and visited Bradley.

"Tommy was there watching me train and everything, and someone had suggested to him to get into the ring with me and hold the mits for me. I got in there and I was just going really soft on the mits. I didn't want to throw the punches with a lot of energy," said Bradley.

"But then, he was like, 'You really have to turn the jab over.' You know, then he started to teach me his signature right hand, and how he would knock guys out," said Bradley. "And I was like, 'I've got to shift all the weight through like that?' And he was like, 'That's where the power comes from. The whole body goes into the punch.' So I'm going to try to use that on Saturday. Absolutely. Why not?"

Hearns was a 6-foot-1, 22-year-old, 145-pound, WBA welterweight (147 pounds) champion when he was knocked out in the 14th round of an Sept. 16, 1981 unification bout by a 5-10, 147-pound, 25-year-old, WBC king in Leonard.

Their combined record entering the match up was 62-1, with 51 knockouts, and, despite their youth, their careers blossomed after their bout.

"As far do I think that this fight is too early? In a sense, I do think that it's too early, and you're going to see why on Saturday night after I detroy Devon Alexander," said Bradley.

"You're going to see why it's too early for him. He's only 23 years old," said Bradley. "He's a great fighter, but I'm seasoned. I'm 27 years old. It's my time. It's my destiny. I'm telling you. I'm going to win on Saturday night, without a doubt in my mind."

GrantZilla wrote:I'm all about going old school as far as just wear regular trunks solid color trunks for christ sake.

But nobody wants to see boxer's in short shorts. Come on now.

GrantZilla wrote:Yeah, I know. Not exactly pleasant to look at today in HD, you know.

Shit, would want to see Arreola in a pair of those?

Ali wrote:I hate those trunks that are skirt like, they just look silly.

GrantZilla wrote:

Ali wrote:I hate those trunks that are skirt like, they just look silly.

Yeah, Pauly "The Metrosexual Man" loves them.

GrantZilla wrote:I wish just bann multi-colored trunks and tassels and shit. Black and white trunks. That's it. And can only have one add on them, small, on the lower part of the leg.

kebark wrote:I'd wear a dart board like thing with the bullseye over my crotch...>_>

Ali wrote:

kebark wrote:I'd wear a dart board like thing with the bullseye over my crotch...>_>

Dangerous if you were facing Golota.

kebark wrote:

Ali wrote:

kebark wrote:I'd wear a dart board like thing with the bullseye over my crotch...>_>

Dangerous if you were facing Golota.

Just need to wear a reinforced cup and you'd beat him every time

kebark wrote:Riddick got the W both times...