MANILA, Philippines - Katulad ng dapat asahan, pumayag na si Timothy Bradley, Jr. na labanan si Manny Pacquiao sa Hunyo 9 sa MGM Grand sa Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ito ang inihayag kahapon ng 28-anyos na si Bradley sa panayam ng Los Angeles Times.
"This is about being the number one fighter in the world, and that's what my goal has been for as long as I can remember," sabi ni Bradley.
Ang pirma na lamang sa kanilang mga fight contract ang itatakda ni Bob Arum ng Top Rank Promotions para sa Pacquiao-Bradley fight.
Itataya ng Filipino world eight-division champion na si Pacquiao ang kanyang suot na World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight belt kontra kay Bradley.
Huling lumaban si Bradley, ang kasalukuyang WBO light welterweight titlist, sa welterweight division noong 2010.
Tanging si Bradley ang natira sa mga naunang ikinunsidera na labanan ni Pacquiao makaraang maplantsa ang banggaan nina Floyd Mayweather, Jr. at Miguel Cotto sa Mayo 5 at ang rematch nina Lamont Peterson at Amir Khan sa Mayo 19.
Si Peterson ang naunang pinuntirya ni Juan Manuel Marquez na labanan.
Inagaw ni Peterson ang mga suot na World Boxing Association (WBA) at International Boxing Federation (IBF) titles ni Khan noong Disyembre 10.
Bitbit ng 33-anyos na si Pacquiao ang 53-3-2 win-loss-draw ring record kasama ang 38 KOs, habang taglay ni Bradley ang 28-0-0 (12 KOs) card.
Kumpiyansa si Bradley na tatalunin niya si Pacquiao.
“He can be beat,” ani Bradley kay Pacquiao. “I just need to get in there and follow my game plan. I know his weaknesses, his favorite combinations. In my mind, I’m definitely going to win. I’ll take it to this guy.”
Tinawag ni trainer Freddie Roach si Bradley na isang 'dirty fighter' dahil sa paggamit nito ng kanyang siko at ulo para magulangan ang kanyang kalaban.
Napanood si Bradley sa undercard ng Pacquiao-Marquez III noong Nobyembre 12 kung saan niya tinalo si Joel Casamayor ng Cuba via eight-round TKO.
“It wasn’t so much that Marquez exposed Pacquiao, as much as he is not as spectacular,” sabi ni Bradley. “It’s harder for Pacquiao to land his shots now, and you even saw that in the (May 2011) Shane Mosley fight. Look, Marquez had Pacquiao’s number, and Marquez is 38 and past his prime.”
Sinabi pa ng American fighter na hindi dapat magkumpiyansa si Pacquiao sa kanilang laban.
“This will be no walk in the park for Manny Pacquiao,” paniniguro ni Bradley.