July was a slow month for boxing. August, however, kicks off with a bang. Timothy Bradley puts his 140-lb title on the line against former 135-lb champ Nate Campbell this Saturday night on Showtime. The telecast starts at 9pm ET with an undercard fight pitting Junior Witter against Devon Alexander for the vacant WBC Light Welterweight Title.
Timothy Bradley vs. Nate Campbell (WBO Light Welterweight Title)
Money Line: Bradley -325; Campbell +250
Timothy Bradley comes into this light welterweight bout with a record of 24-0 (11 KOs). Bradley burst onto the scene in 2008 with a win over Junior Witter in the United Kingdom to capture his first world title. Bradley followed with a title defense against Edner Cherry and a unification bout with Kendall Holt. Bradley is an intelligent boxer that likes to work the body. He uses a quick workrate to make up for his lack of punching power. Bradley has quickly become one of the top 140-lb fighters in the world.
Nate Campbell, 33-5-1 (25 KOs) is a former lightweight champion making the jump to light welterweight. Campbell couldn’t make weight in his last fight, a 135-lb title defense against Ali Funeka, and he said he would never fight at 135 lbs again. Cambell is on a bit of a career resurgence after defeating Juan Diaz in a thriller last year. Campbell is a strong fighter and seems to be a natural fit in the light welterweight division. He creates an interesting matchup for Tim Bradley as both fighters like to push the pace.
Fight Predictions
Trent: I think this fight is closer to call than the betting odds would lead you to believe. Bradley is a better boxer but on their best days, Campbell would get the win. Campbell, however, is more prone to having an off day. The conservative pick is Bradley but Campbell is without question a live underdog. If Bradley can survive the first three rounds against Campbell then I believe he can make the adjustments necessary to win a decision. Surviving early won’t be easy, though. Bradley was knocked down in the first round in his last fight with Kendall Holt. Holt and Campbell are similar fighters. Campbell will put more pressure on Bradley early but I see Bradley surviving and using his body work to wear the 37-year-old Campbell down in the late rounds. Bradley by decision, 114-113.
Corey: This fight is a tough call because as much potential as Bradley seems to carry as a boxer, it’s unclear whether he can stand up to twelve rounds of aggression. Bradley looked extremely vulnerable in his last fight, getting dropped twice by Kendall Holt. He probably would have lost had Holt’s activity not taken such a drastic drop over the middle of the fight. Campbell, on the other hand, showed in his win over Juan Diaz that he can go twelve hard rounds if he has to and showed in his last fight against Ali Funeka that he can pull out a close one by coming up big in the late rounds. Bradley is going to be in for a rough night. He won’t be able to box his way to the finish line without brawling, and that’s where Campbell’s harder, more meaningful punches will give him the edge. Call it Campbell in a close, debatable decision, maybe split on the judges’ cards, and enough to warrant a rematch should both guys need it.
Fight Odds from Bodog.com.
