In a recent interview Larry
Merchant gave to Chris Robinson (follow @hustle boss) the veteran Boxing scion
theorized Tim Bradley possibly becoming a future opponent for Floyd Mayweather
Jr. Currently Mr. Bradley is waiting on that call from Manny Pacquiao to finish
a little business in 2014 but Merchant believes the WBA Welterweight Champ
could possibly challenge the current trade sanctions levied on Boxing fans by
Monopolistic promoters- you call it a “Cold War”. I call it Bullshit. The truth
is Bradley, like any other “precedent” case looks good enough on paper to force
the hands of “Boxing” because he isn’t in debt to Bob Arum or the IRS. I’m going
to venture to say that Arum owns Manny’s ass like King once owned Tyson and he
will fight out his days as a deterrent to big fights as opposed to being a
maker of such fights-enter the uber credible Tim Bradley. What Merchant didn’t
do is make the itemized list of “things” Bradley would have to execute besides
buying one house and one car to elicit the ire and interest of Floyd Mayweather,
which is where I come in.
‘Positioning” in the
marketplace is hard when you don’t have the benefit of a built in ethnic fan
base, even the great Mayweather requires foes to bring fans when he’s supposed
to be the face of boxing. Why else does Amir Khan merit discussion? And why
else would Golden Boy be prudent to keep Danny Garcia in the Barclays Center for
the foreseeable future? Bradley is suffering from the oldest of maladies and it
can be traced back as far as Charley Burley and Marvin Hagler. He’s going to
have to make himself worth the risk to a fighter who resembles Jack Johnson in
his propensity to profit from tribal passions in Floyd Mayweather and it can’t
be done without planning. As of now on a mainstream level he’s seen as “that
guy who didn’t beat Manny Pacquiao” and he has to change that perception before
setting out on the Mayweather campaign. Yes, I said campaign and campaigns
require more than a few well-placed quotes here and there. Here is the blueprint
for making Tim Bradley a candidate for a super fight with Mayweather beyond his
sterling resume.
#1 beat the Breaks off of
Manny Pacquiao
A
tall order if Manny turns in a 6 week camp, but if it turns out to be a war
then that’s all the better. The general public will endorse Bradley if ESPN
jams highlights from a slug fest down their throats, remember this is a
highlight generation and there’s no advertisement like a quip from a Sports
Center anchor. If he repeats the next level FOY performance against Manny
Pacquiao Floyd Mayweathers name will come attached with the clips and he’ll be
forced to explain it away to a less than receptive audience. A decisive win
over Pacquiao is a game changer, it puts Arum in a position to where he has to
choose to put his golden goose back together again while letting Bradley cross
the street Miguel Cotto style. Arum isn’t a believer in black fighters as “draws”
which is why Floyd hates him, trust me he’ll be too busy looking for another
punching bag for Manny try to leverage Bradley. And after beating "Pacman"
decisively Bradley can easily co-opt his fans with a gracious demeanor and
respect for the Champion of the Philippines. Hell if he can he should go there
and support Manny’s political efforts and bond with the people who would gladly
transfer their hopes of beating Mayweather onto Bradley in the short term.
#2 Call Floyd out early and
often
I
know I know, everybody calls him out but Tim Bradley will be the most decorated
welterweight to call him out in years. Remember, there’s no shame in calling
him out when you consider the fact that he is actually listening to everyone
but the guy you just beat Pacquiao once and for all. Calling out Floyd will be greeted
with derision by his propaganda arm but all one has to do is point out that
Amir Khan, Juan Manuel Marquez and Ricky Hatton were all “heard” (by Floyd)
because they all had no shot. Bradley has no better platform than post fight
once he handles Pacquiao to let it be known and do it in a colorful and
unmistakable way. This will assure face time on ESPN’s “First Take” and Bradley
must find a way to lead Stephen A. Smith (A Mayweather “fan”) to the water
because he’s not hard to convince. Hell even where a Floyd Who? T-shirt to Max
Kellermans “Face off” if you have to, remember Floyd will start saying
Bradley’s trying to “get paid” but make it clear to every hot microphone within 50 feet that he deserves to get paid.
Turn his words against him, Bradley shouldn’t be the least bit shy about
reiterating Mayweather's “they call it prize fighting” mantra.
#3 Hire an Aggressive PR Firm
There
has to be some outlay in order to bring the money home, and hiring a
professional group is a wise investment. Picture it as a real campaign, a
product that needs to be sold just like any other new product. Ali was his
own PR machine who had no problem showing up in Denver and Philly to harass
Sonny Liston and Joe Frazier because they had what he wanted. Floyd’s backyard
is Vegas so why wouldn’t an aggressive firm run spots in Vegas? why wouldn’t
Bradley do something charitable in Sin City and invite Floyd out to help?. Go
on a Hip Hop Radio (Power 105, Hot 97) media tour and piss all over his
backyard, this is the one constituency his opponents haven’t exploited in the
call out stage so Bradley should be the first. A firm can stress the importance
of doing more than press releases, how getting out there as a public figure is
the way to sell anything in 2014. If Bradley can get some kind of cameo on a
BET or "TVOne" type of show it would work wonders. Hell put on a suit and make
yourself a presence at Black Hollywood Gala’s and hobnob with the celebrity
set. At this point he’s a “who”? With black people and he needs to at least
become “that dude who thinks he can whoop Floyd” by the fall- a serious
upgrade. If Floyd is playing for anybody its black folks, specifically young
black males so Bradley should appeal to the "WorldStarHipHop" crowd because if
they “think” Floyd is on some punk shit they’ll call him on it.
#4 Frame Yourself
as the Contrast to Mayweather
Believe
it or not the fights that capture our imagination present us with two opposing
forces like boxer vs. puncher or flashy vs. down to earth grinder. Bradley is a
grinder with the opposite personality to Floyd, shine a spotlight on it! Mayweather
cornered the market on “flashy, obnoxious African American” so Bradley has to
bring attention to the differences between himself and the Grand Rapids native.
HBO’s “Real Sports” can do a feature on him to create the kind of framing
needed to polarize and make people choose sides. If they can play the race card
by bringing in Michael Eric Dyson to lob Mayweather fat juicy softballs bring
in someone else to draw the very real conflict ( us vs. them) now bubbling in the black community. Facebook
is filled with young black men posing with stacks of money that they didn’t get
by hard work and dedication thanks to Floyd, so why not highlight this fact?
Tim Bradley can present himself as the alternative and become a celebrity for
his overtly non celebrity image if he “puts Floyds name in his mouth”. Bradley’s
very lifestyle isn’t vulnerable to Mayweather’s usual claims aimed at Pacquiao,
with resume in hand he can sell himself on integrity alone and put Floyd’s
hypocrisy “all out on front street”. Even if he’s embraced by the conservative
right as the kind of athlete African Americans “should” root for it’s better
than anonymity and it also tears a page out of the Mayweather book on self-promotion.
Make “the rounds”, late night or any non-boxing forum your firm can arrange
because it’s about finding a supportive mainstream tribe. Floyd found the
vicarious video game playing “ballers” back in 2007; in 2014 Bradley has to
find his.
#5 Send Joel Diaz “after”
the babbling Mayweather’s
It’s
the worst kept secret in all of Boxing, the Mayweather’s aren’t elite trainers but
their involvement with Floyd gives them license to comment on any other trainer
in the business. Diaz should hit them where it hurts and make it clear that at
this point training Floyd Mayweather is like coaching LeBron James which is why
you can switch the babbling brothers in and out between rounds if you wanted to.
I’m not sure he’d notice. Floyd may be a major league shit talker but he got it
from these two, and his uncle and father aren’t as secure in their position as
he is. Diaz may be a class act but getting muddy can lead him to the only fight
that makes sense if Bradley beats Pacquiao in impressive fashion. The uncle and
the father talk shit more consistently than Floyd so Diaz should get the
running chatter going now before Bradley steps in with Pacquiao. Any claims of
Cold War go out of the window after Floyd steps in with Amir Khan, by my
estimation once that farce is signed Diaz can say the following to the babbling
Mayweather’s.
“How
can you talk so much shit about who can’t fight and take on Guerrero, Canelo
and Khan in succession?” Diaz may be the trainer of the #2 fighter pound for
pound in Boxing by spring and you’d have to be a fool to let any one of these
guys (Floyd Sr. or Roger) tell you he don’t deserve the shot. More importantly
Diaz can point out that “his” guy doesn’t quit which is more than you can say
for ALL of Mayweather’s recent opponents with the exclusion of Miguel Cotto. Bradley made his bones not caring about
obstacles and Floyd’s trainers are masters at hypothetical obstacles that don’t
mean shit to guys like the desert storm. If he starts now he can break down all
of the obstacles figurative and literal that makes this fight a long shot because
the truth is he’s probably the last fighter “worthy” of fighting Floyd
Mayweather.
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