Tim Bradley Calls Shakur Stevenson’s Pacquiao Pursuit Easy Money

“Ain’t nobody waiting on no damn Manny Pacquiao and you to fight, boy,” Bradley said in a video on his channel. He challenged Zuffa Boxing’s interest in the matchup, too: “Y’all talking about y’all supposed to be changing boxing? This ain’t changing boxing. This downplaying and downgrading boxing.”

Bradley first fought Pacquiao in 2012, when Manny was 33. Stevenson would face a far older fighter who has not recorded an official win since beating Keith Thurman in 2019. Putting Pacquiao’s name on Shakur’s record would be a commercial prize. It would say much less about Shakur’s place among today’s best fighters.

A Fury–Joshua stadium card would put Stevenson in front of viewers who rarely watch him. That opportunity comes with a trap. If he controls the distance and wins a quiet decision, a crowd waiting for Pacquiao’s old bursts of action may turn on him. If Shakur stops Pacquiao, many will see the result through the lens of Manny’s age. Winning the fight and winning over that audience are different jobs.