Timothy Bradley is aching to prove his doubters wrong when he lock horns with Manny Pacquiao again in their rematch set on April 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Bradley defeated Pacquiao during their first showdown in June 2012, but that win was tainted by controversy with most experts saying that the split-decision win awarded to the undefeated American demonstrates travesty in boxing.
And now that he will be facing his old foe again almost two month from now, Bradley vowed to be at his best in their second showdown, saying that he will be more than ready to prove that his victory against Pacquiao was no fluke.
"I didn't get any credit for the first win. No one expected me to get the win. No one felt I won the fight," Bradley said. "April 12, I'm going to prove to fans around the world and all the people around the world watching that it wasn't a fluke the first time. I'm on a quest, man."
Bradley, who will put his WBO welterweight title and unblemished 31-0 record on the line, felt that his tactical and careful approach during their first showdown led to the perception that he was dominated by a more aggressive Pacquiao.
The "Desert Storm" also insisted that he looked slow during their first fight because he hurt his foot during the second round of that match.
In their upcoming rematch, Bradley vowed to fight with a different style compared to their first showdown, saying that he will look to fight like the way he did during his fight against Juan Manuel Marquez, whom he defeated via split decision in October last year.
"Well the first time around, from the second round on, I was damaged goods," Bradley insisted. "I didn't have my feet underneath me like I did in the Marquez fight. In the Marquez fight, I was able to show a lot of versatile things. I boxed, came forward a little bit, moved, counterpunched."
Bradley, who was then fighting in his first pay-per-view fight, admitted that he was too nervous during that fight and it directly affected his confidence.
Bradley vowed to be more relaxed in April, saying that he is now used to the bright lights after appearing in two more PPV fights after the first showdown with his Filipino rival - one against Marquez and one against Ruslan Provodnikov.
"My nerves in the first fight with Manny Pacquiao were unbelievable. I had nerves and anxiety, and that can alter your game a little bit. So this time around, man, I'll be a lot more relaxed. And the more relaxed you are, the better fight you'll have," Bradley confidently said.
