The most stunning moment of the evening came early when the usually granite-chinned Timothy Bradley found himself decked with a vicious shot delivered by Holt. For those that have found themselves questioning whether or not he could weather such a storm, his ability to not only respond, but do it with a vengence, would not only remove all doubt, but establish him as a perennial player in the loaded jr. welterweight division as well.
With highly notables on deck such as Ricky Hatton, Manny Pacquiao, and Nate Campbell, in comparison, the reality is that TB is still a bit raw and incomplete relative to his complete evolution. Does that mean he won't be as big of a factor? Absolutely not.
For Bradley, the biggest problem he's now faced with comes in the fact that similarly to Andre Berto, being a raw champion in a loaded division will totally diminish any chance he has to develop to the level in which he may need to be at to compete. With Campbell waiting in the wings and Marquez lurking close by, needless to say that soon enough a much greater task for Bradley may lie ahead. Many can remember the evolution of Miguel Cotto who was carried along in a steady progression, facing a wide bevvy of fighters with each new man being slightly more talented than the one prior. From Corley, to Torres, to the slick Malignaggi, to Mosley; each step of the way he was taught to master a different template, and to date there are few styles he can't conquer. For guys like Bradley and Berto, the learning curve is much steeper because the level of competition is fairly steep and the time is scarce.
How Bradley will respond now that his moment under the spotlight has finally arrived remains a question, but if his effort against Holt was any indication, we may all be in for one helluva ride.
Stay tuned.
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