Is Timothy Bradley getting an unfair reputation?

In boxing fighters can get certain reputations depending on what they do. Mike Tyson for example had a reputation as some one to be scared of, a violent man who wanted to hurt his opponent, whilst Bernard Hopkins is a well established “old skool” fighter who appears to know (and use) all the tricks in the book and of course Andrew Golota is commonly nicknamed “The foul pole” due to his repeated fouls against Riddick Bowe. Though it seems that Timothy Bradley, the newly crowned WBC/WBO unified junior welterweight champion is also gaining himself a reputation, a reputation for using his head, literally.

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i think that he does use his head. that doesnt mean that he is a dirty fighter though. i think that the head use comes with his style of fighting. he jumps in so much that a clash of heads just happens. i dont think that he means to use it but i also dont think that he tries to avoid using it either

Andre Ward does it and so does Bernard Hopkins. it's a smart tactic if you can get away with it. instead of your opponent just trying to avoid the punch they are trying to avoid a punch and a butt. in my eyes though it is something which needs to be policed by this officiating the sport. some refs will let you get away with more than others. i don't believe that Bradley doesn't intend to use his head, it's something he is successful with and good at and until a referee pulls him up on it then i don't have a problem with that being his style. like i said he isn't the only person that uses this style, he's just more successful with his head than others

you can't penalize Bradley, because he doesn't 'throw his head' at opponents - he lunges to leverage his punches and bends to make sure he has the top of his head in position if a clash occurs.

The biggest problem is fighters make two technical errors that allow clashes of heads to cause real damage.

1. They hold their head square and level between their shoulders instead of canted to one side and
2. They don't pivot their head away from the foe when distance closes.

Good defensive fighters used to get cauliflower ears. Why? Because they'd BARELY make someone miss and two they held and turned their heads properly so the side of the head took the brunt of impacts like these.

marbleheadmaui wrote:The biggest problem is fighters make two technical errors that allow clashes of heads to cause real damage.

1. They hold their head square and level between their shoulders instead of canted to one side and
2. They don't pivot their head away from the foe when distance closes.

Good defensive fighters used to get cauliflower ears. Why? Because they'd BARELY make someone miss and two they held and turned their heads properly so the side of the head took the brunt of impacts like these.

very true. Alexander said you can't prepare for headbutts. I would guess Marble would disagree.

Not think it's odd how many of his fights do have them involved in? 6 fights in a row is a quite amount...

kebark wrote:Not think it's odd how many of his fights do have them involved in? 6 fights in a row is a quite amount...

yes, but watch all the replays of the head clashes last night, and Bradley is no more to blame than alexander

captainanddew wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:The biggest problem is fighters make two technical errors that allow clashes of heads to cause real damage.

1. They hold their head square and level between their shoulders instead of canted to one side and
2. They don't pivot their head away from the foe when distance closes.

Good defensive fighters used to get cauliflower ears. Why? Because they'd BARELY make someone miss and two they held and turned their heads properly so the side of the head took the brunt of impacts like these.

very true. Alexander said you can't prepare for headbutts. I would guess Marble would disagree.

I certainly would.

Timothy's head should be classified is a lethal weapon.

Ali wrote:Timothy's head should be classified is a lethal weapon.

his next fight should be against a ram in heat for mating rights with Khan.... now that is something HBO could definitely sell well

dbudge wrote:

Ali wrote:Timothy's head should be classified is a lethal weapon.

his next fight should be against a ram in heat for mating rights with Khan.... now that is something HBO could definitely sell well

LOL

Last night's ACCIDENTAL head butts I felt where due to Alexander looking to clinch whenever Bradley got in close

Instead of fighting or boxing his way out of that situation, he would grapple Bradley

Had no answer for Bradley's pressure

I felt the ref should of warned or deducted points after a few rounds

All his headbutts are accidental IMO, its all the cause of his style. Everytime they replay a headbutt of his, its because hes trying to get off some shots. As for last Saturday, Alexander was the cause of those butts as well.

Thumb him, cuff him, hit him low, rabbit punch etc. Tell him during th clinch what you're doing and why. Re violater will change his tune if he's not a total masochist.

Remember what his corner told him...."stay low & come up punching." Bradley is short, so he has to fight that way. His intention is to punch. If his opponent, as Alexander did, chooses to duck down as Bradley is coming up, heads are gonna clash. I don't understand Alexander's decision to fight down at Bradley's level any way. he should fight tall. Guy's that fight tall rarely get butted.

flapanther2001 wrote:Remember what his corner told him...."stay low & come up punching." Bradley is short, so he has to fight that way. His intention is to punch. If his opponent, as Alexander did, chooses to duck down as Bradley is coming up, heads are gonna clash. I don't understand Alexander's decision to fight down at Bradley's level any way. he should fight tall. Guy's that fight tall rarely get butted.

+1

Devon could use this piece of advice from this man

"All you gotta do is double the fucking jab!!!"

My thought is that if Alexander was throwing his jab with some conviction butts wouldn't have been an issue.

There were several times in the fight that the ref could have warned Alexander for backhanding with his jab.

Norm1023 wrote:My thought is that if Alexander was throwing his jab with some conviction butts wouldn't have been an issue.

There were several times in the fight that the ref could have warned Alexander for backhanding with his jab.

Correctomundo!!!!

he deserves that rep particaly...