Bradley internal dispute threatens to postpone Alexander bout
Fights fans may have to wait for a junior welterweight unification match between WBO champ Timothy Bradley and WBC/IBF champ Devon Alexander. Rick Reeno, of BoxingScene, reports that, the bout, scheduled to air on HBO on January 29, is in jeopardy of falling apart.
According to alleged knowledgeable parties, there seems to be an internal business dispute between Bradley and his promoter Gary Shaw.
Bradley’s contract is set to expire with Shaw in May 2011. In order to finalize a deal with Alexander, Shaw is adamant that Bradley sign a contract extension. But Bradley wishes to explore his options as a prime fighter- the truth is, he would definitely be wooed by fellow promotional giants such as Golden Boy or Top Rank. According to Reeno, the dispute is a usual one in the sporting world, and comes down to “normal business practices.” Bradley simply wishes to see if any outsider parties would offer him more earning potential than his current arrangement.
But Shaw doesn’t want to lose one of his top prospects, and he’s going for the ‘you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours’ approach. He can’t really be blamed for taking this attitude, especially since Shaw built Bradley up to what he is today.
Bradley likewise recently switched from being a Showtime fighter to an HBO broadcast fighter. This situation was similar. Bradley felt he was getting more by going to HBO. There are rumours that Bradley has been in contact with Golden Boy Promotions about a future partnership. Bradley’s team has denied the rumours, but BoxingScene was tipped off that Shaw had sent a formal letter to Golden Boy, warning them that Bradley was still under contract and to cease communications until otherwise informed.
Devon Alexander is coming off a close decision win against Andriy Kotelnik, in which he retained his titles. He and Bradley have been calling each other out for months, and a bout between the two would determine the undisputed top junior welterweight of the world.
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