Chavez fucks up Bradley at either weight. If a scrub like Provo can arguably beat Bradley at 147, theres no reason why Chavez couldnt. You cant beat Chavez if you cant keep him off, unless you're an absolute MASTER boxer like Whitaker, Floyd, or Benitez. Bradley was nowhere near that level. This isnt Lamont Peterson or a stuck in the mud Marquez. Chavez knew how to cut the ring and break guys down, and he'd have ZERO respect for Timmy's power. Chavez wins. No hesitation. If we're talking the still prime Chavez of 89-90 then Bradley gets stopped in 8-10 rounds.
I dont think as highly of Bradley as many do. He was a good fighter, but nothing more. More a product of timing. He only ruled 140 because Tszyu was long retired, and Hatton was washed up. And he ducked Khan at 140. Yes, Bradley would probably have beaten Khan, but he still ducked the matchup. 25 years from now, people look at Bradley's record and say "Woooww, he beat Manny Pacquiao. He musta been great!" But we'll know it's a farce.
Bradley was a tough seasoned no frills professional. The type who would make most opponents have a hard day of work at the office even in a clear win. Problem for him in this matchup is that's all it would be for Chavez. A tough work-out. The difference in skill and nuance would be noticeable after about three rounds which would become mainly one-way traffic. Bradley gets in the odd good shot but Julio would simply shrug them off and keep thudding away. I lean toward a UD as Bradley was a survivor when he needed to be, but if he decided to engage too often rather than box he gets stopped.
I think Bradley loses a UD if its circa 92-93 Chavez who was slipping. The younger, still prime Chavez of 89 pushes for a stoppage, and cuts the ring off too well for Braddles to survive. Not a clean stoppage, but Joel Diaz would probably have to stop it between rounds to save Tim.
Can’t see Bradley doing much here other than gamely taking a beating. He’d never stop trying but he’s simply overmatched. He gets stopped mid to late rounds.
