Tim Bradley feels as if he is about to hit the jackpot.
The 28-year-old former WBO/WBC junior welterweight beltholder signed with Top Rank Inc., and will debut with the company against former four-time titleholder and Cuban Olympic gold medalist Joel Casamayor on the undercard of the Nov. 12 Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
In addition, Bradley (27-0, 11 KOs) still is basking in the glow of the birth of his daughter, Jada Nicolette Bradley, in late July with his wife, Monica, whose two children — son, Robert, 11, and a daughter, Alaysia, 6 ? he has helped to raise from a previous marriage.
“I really think that having Tim Bradley on the card really enhances the card for people not only in the United States, but also, the hundreds of hundreds of millions all over the world that will be watching this event,” said Top Rank CEO Bob Arum.
“I think that they will get a great opportunity, perhaps for the first time, to see Tim and how good he is. That’s one of the main reasons that we put him on this card.”
With Casamayor (38-5-1, 22 KOs) having successfully rebounded from a loss to Robert Guerrero (29-1-1, 18 KOs) by scoring a split-decision win over junior welterweight Manuel Lueva (18-3, 10 KOs) in March, Bradley could enter the sweepstakes to face eight-division titleholder Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs) should Pacquiao get beyond his WBO welterweight title defense against WBO/WBA lightweight beltholder Marquez (53-5-1, 39 KOs).
If not Pacqauiao or WBC welterweight beltholder Floyd Mayweather Jr. (42-0, 26 KOs), WBA/IBF counterpart Amir Khan (26-1, 18 KOs) is another candidate for Bradley.
Khan has a defense on Dec. 10 against IBF mandatory challenger Lamont Peterson (29-1-1, 15 KOs), whom Bradley dropped in the third round of a clash of unbeatens for a unanimous decision victory and the WBO belt in December of 2009.
Bradley was originally scheduled to face Khan on July 23, but he opted out and is now involved in a lawsuit with his co-promoters, Gary Shaw and Ken Thompson of Thompson Boxing Promotions. Bradley was legally advised that he could sign with Top Rank.
“This is such a great opporunity, and we’re so grateful to Bob Arum for giving him this opportunity. I knew that I was doing the right thing and I knew that Top Rank was the best promoter in the world,” said Bradley’s manager, Cameron Dunkin.
