Pacquiao vs. Bradley 3 News: Bradley Drops WBO Title For Failing To Face Mandatory Challenger And Picking 'Pacman' Instead
Welterweight Timothy Bradley has decided to vacate his World Boxing Organization (WBO) 147-pound title, ahead of his rubber match against eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao.
The said fight is scheduled to take place on April 9th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the same venue where their two previous fights on June 2012 and April 2014 were held.
Bradley has held the WBO welterweight title twice already.
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The first time was when he defeated Pacquiao during their first fight, via a controversial split decision verdict. The second time was when he fought for the then vacant title against Jessie Vargas in June 2015. The said vacancy was due to the WBO's decision to strip Floyd Mayweather Jr. of the said title, a belt he won against Manny Pacquiao in their May 2nd 2015 mega fight.
In a report by Jake Donovan for Boxingscene, Bradley decided to drop the said title after opting to fight Pacquiao instead of the WBO's mandatory challenger, Sadam Ali. Bradley sent a notarized letter to WBO president Francisco "Paco" Valcarcel, indicating his intent to drop the said title.
"As you know, I will be fighting Manny Pacquiao on April 9, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. To accept this fight invariably means I cannot comply my mandatory obligation and must forgo the mandatory (challenge) against Sadam Ali, as ordered by the WBO."
"This is a difficult decision, but one I have to make to give fans the best fights as well as allow myself the toughest and biggest fights possible from both a competitive and financial perspective," Bradley said in his letter.
For his part, Valcarcel accepted Bradley's letter, where he also commended the fighter for being an "outstanding, honorable, and loyal" welterweight and junior welterweight champion of the WBO. Valcarcel adds that the WBO is preparing a "special recognition" for the winner of the April 9th fight.
