Timothy Bradley beats Juan Manuel Marquez to retain title

[Mr Lick]

American Timothy Bradley retained his WBO welterweight title with a split-decision victory over Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in Las Vegas.

Two judges gave Bradley, 30, victory - 116-112 and 115-113 - while the other scored it 115-113 for Marquez, 40.

In a tactical bout, a late left hook from Bradley was one of few big shots.




On the undercard, Orlando Cruz failed in his bid to become the first openly gay world champion as he was stopped by Orlando Salido in the seventh round.

Salido, 32, regained the vacant WBO featherweight title after improving his career record to 40 wins (28 knockouts), 12 defeats and two losses, while Cruz slipped to 20-3-1, with 10 wins inside the distance.

Cruz, also 32, said: "I went into the corner and he hit me with a good shot. The fight was close until then."



Marquez, who had two narrow defeats and a draw against Filipino great Manny Pacquiao before a sixth-round knockout victory in their fourth fight in December, rocked Bradley in the ninth and felt he had done enough to win.

"I know I did my job and I'm happy with what I've done," he said, after his seventh defeat in 63 fights. "I landed the best shots... to win a fight it's not always necessary to win by KO."

Marquez, bidding to become the first Mexican to win world titles in five weight classes, added: "I've been robbed six times in my career. I clearly won the fight."

But Bradley, who beat Pacquiao - also on a split decision - in June 2012, said: "He couldn't touch me. I gave him a boxing lesson."

Unbeaten Bradley, who took his career record to 31(12)-0, could now face another match with 34-year-old Pacquiao, who fights American Brandon Rios in Macau on 24 November.

Two-time Olympic gold medallist Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine made an impressive professional debut with a fourth-round knock-out of Mexican featherweight Jose Ramirez in a scheduled 10-round bout.

Lomachenko, who won gold at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, is contractually guaranteed a 126-pound world-title shot in his second fight which could be against Salido or WBA champion Nicholas Walters in the new year.

[kmart]

Saw the fight. Thought Bradley clearly outboxed Marquez, (whose counter-punching style doesn't always score well with the judges over 12 rounds).

I'd like to see Bradley will take on Pacquiao again, after being gifted the first fight by a rotten judge.

[piwanoi]

Saw the fight. Thought Bradley clearly outboxed Marquez, (whose counter-punching style doesn't always score well with the judges over 12 rounds).

I'd like to see Bradley will take on Pacquiao again, after being gifted the first fight by a rotten judge.

Actually it was two rotten judges, both C J Ross and Duane Ford scored the Fight 115 TO 113 in favor of Bradley , I must have been watching a different fight !, even worse IMHO was the split decision in Mayweather's last fight with Alvarez ,I'm afraid bad decisions have been part and parcel of boxing for decades so this is nothing new , but in my view although its not perfect 3 judges is far better than just leaving it to the ref also IMHO this thread should be amalgamated with "Boxing news"

[aging one]

Actually it was two rotten judges, both C J Ross and Duane Ford scored the Fight 115 TO 113 in favor of Bradley ,

CJ Ross was not a judge at that fight. She stepped down from the job after the Alvarez fight where she once again got it very wrong. She was a judge who gave the Pacquio fight to Bradley.

[piwanoi]

Actually it was two rotten judges, both C J Ross and Duane Ford scored the Fight 115 TO 113 in favor of Bradley ,

CJ Ross was not a judge at that fight. She stepped down from the job after the Alvarez fight where she once again got it very wrong. She was a judge who gave the Pacquio fight to Bradley.

Sorry if you misunderstood Ageing one but I never said Ross was one of the Judges in The Marquez Bradley fight but she certainly was in the PaquioV Bradley fight which was the one I was referring to in answer Kmarts saying it was a bad decision which I readily agreed to , I think "stepping down" is pure kindness on your behalf as After the Mayweather Alvarez fight she should have been suspended Indefinitely and her licence withdrawn ,or certainly not been allowed ever again to officiate in a World title fight .

[kmart]

Timothy Bradley certainly seems to be the judge's golden boy in recent decision wins. Prior to the fight with Provodnikov, he couldn't even sell out shows in his own hometown due to his awkward boxing style.

[piwanoi]

Timothy Bradley certainly seems to be the judge's golden boy in recent decision wins. Prior to the fight with Provodnikov, he couldn't even sell out shows in his own hometown due to his awkward boxing style.

Kmart maybe its just his personality ,I've watched a few of his interviews and he appears a very likable kind of guy ,for me the Ref in the Provodnikov fight needs a white stick, Dark glasses and a Golden Labrador ! Bradly did not know what day it was ,in fact while Bradly was staggering all over the ring from "a slip" the ref held out his hand and said how many fingers? and Bradly replied Thursday