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Event Summary
SAT AUGUST 1 9:00PM ET/PT
Timothy "Desert Storm" Bradley retained his WBO 140-pound title with a highly controversial 3rd-rd TKO over Nate Campbell on Saturday's SHOWTIME telecast from the California desert.
Referee David Mendoza ruled that a Bradley punch, not an accidental head butt as it seemed, in the third round caused a cut and damaged Campbell's vision that forced the ringside physician to halt the contest on the advice of Campbell's corner before the start of round 4. Read More
Bradley, fighting in front of his hometown crowd in Palm Springs, was the overwhelming house favorite and came out strong, winning all three rounds on the judges cards.
After the clash of heads, Campbell signaled to Mendoza to acknowledge the mishap as Bradley unleashed a fury of punches before the bell.
Campbell returned to his corner with blood surrounding his eye and was heard saying, "I can't see, I can't see. My eye is blind. I have spots in my eye."
Ringside physicians could not allow the bout to continue and Campbell offered no protest as the fight was called.
When the decision was announced--a TKO victory for Bradley, rather than a No Contest--heated arguments ensued from Campbell, his camp and promoter Don King.
Campbell told SHOWTIME reporter Jim Gray, with Bradley standing close by, "Of all the fighters in boxing, I am the only one who has fought anyone you put in front of me and I never complained about a decision. The camera caught it and the ref said it was a head butt. He never hurt me with nothing. I'm not mad with Tim. He did his job but this is wrong. I shouldn't have that TKO on my record. It's wrong."
To Bradley, Campbell said, "Be fair. Be honest (about the decision). It's about what is right and what is wrong."
Mendoza stood by his decision, explaining to Gray, "They both were head butting each other as they were fighting and after that last head butt, Bradley threw a punch and that is when he started bleeding. The blood didn't start coming out until the punch. The last thing I saw before the blood started coming out was a punch and I have to go with a punch."
When it was Bradley's turn to talk, he said, "I don't know, I was just in there fighting. I felt our heads collide and I see him get a cut. But I attacked and the ref was doing his job. I don't know what's going on. I'm here doing my job taking care of my business in the ring. It's not my job and not my problem. It didn't even matter. He was going to get beat tonight anyway. As the rounds kept going on, he was getting older and older."
In the co-feature, young gun Devon Alexander outworked Junior Witter to capture his first world title, the vacant WBC 140-pound Championship by TKO, after Witter quit on his stool after eight rounds.
The undefeated Alexander was able to withstand and eventually conquer the unorthodox fighting style of England's Witter. Witter, who kept switching stances and throwing wild shots, wasn't able to hurt Alexander who kept moving forward. After the eighth Witter walked over to Alexander and told him and his corner that he could not go on.
After the fight Witter explained, "My elbow went in the fourth round and basically I couldn't keep him off with one hand. I battled through for a few rounds. I kept switching which was working to an extent but I couldn't box the way I wanted to. I didn't feel good; I didn't feel good at all."
When asked if the decision was his or came from his corner, "It was a mutual agreement. We decided to let this one go. As much as I wanted to do it, I just wasn't able to. It's not that I wanted to quit, I wanted to win. I think it was a close fight."
Witter was down 80-72 twice and 79-73 on the official judges scorecards.
Witter followed by saying this would not be his last fight but that he just needed to get with his promoter and trainers and decide what the next move will be.
An emotional Alexander was humbled by the win and remembered his father who passed away when he was a teenager. He said, "This feels good, baby. This is to my dad. I got it now. I got it. I train hard everyday. I didn't miss a day at the gym when I was an amateur and I stay dedicated through my professional career and now I have the green belt, the title. My coach (Kevin Cunningham) never gave up on me and now I got it. I had Don King with me and he never gave up on me. We are taking it back to St. Louis."
The 22-year old continued, "I've got a dynamite team and we had a game plan. We had an A-plan, a B-plan, and a C-plan. We had all of it. I told him in the press conference there is nothing he could do in the ring to stop me from walking out with that belt." Close
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News
- Rafael's scorecard: Bradley uses head; Alexander announces arrival (ESPN.com)
- Instant replay remedies ref's flub in Bradley-Cambell bout (The Examiner)
- Ruling Brings Controversial Ending to Bradley-Campbell Showtime Title Bout (The Ledger)
- Fight Notes (The Desert Sun)
- No title for quitter Witter (Sky Sports)
- Bradley stops Campbell, keeps 140-pound title (AP)
- Bizarre Night - First Witter Quits & Then Campbell (Eastside Boxing.com)
- Bradley Focused on Keeping His Composure, Title vs. Campbell (USA Today)
- Campbell Continues American Dream (The Desert Sun)
- Campbell Set For New Challenge at 140 (Tampa Tribune)
- Bradley, campbell Exude Confidence Ahead of 140-Pound Tilt (ESPN.com)
- Never Mind Belts, Bradley Takes Best Fights (Yahoo! Sports)
- Junior Witter: I Can Force Amir Khan into Light-Welterweight Unification Fight (Daily Telegraph - UK)
- Junior Witter Finds His Last Chance Saloon in the Californian Desert (The Guardian - UK)
- Campbell's Been There, Done That (MaxBoxing.com)
- Bradley Seeking Big Bucks (The Sports Network)
- Devon Alexander Eyes the Future (BoxingScene.com)
- Bradley Ready for Campbell (FightNews.com)
- Call 'Em Out Fridays: Campbell/Bradley-A Welcomed Game of Addition by Subtraction? (EastSideBoxing.com)
- Campbell Eyes Unbeaten Bradley's Title Belt (USA Today)
- Trash Talk: Campbell for War of Words Than Bradley (Desert Sun)
- Nate Campbell Has Lost Two Friends from Boxing Community in Last Month (Desert Sun)
- Bradley's Life Before Boxing (Desert Sun)
- Home is Where Heart, Added Pressure Meet (Desert Sun)
- Bradley bout marks boxing's return to Coachella Valley (Desert Sun)
- Devon Alexander, Boxing for WBC Super Lightweight Championship, Cory Spinks, Junior Witter (St. Louis Post Dispatch)
- Bradley Knows What He's Getting Into With Campbell (San Bernardino Sun)
- Campbell a Veteran Test for Rising Bradley (Riverside Press Enterprise)
- Alexander Prime for Title Shot (Yahoo! Sports)
- Who Needs Floyd When You've Got Nate Campbell? (CBS Sports)
- The Desert Storm Comes Back Home (MaxBoxing)
- Where's Nate Campbell? Check Under Your Chin (The Sweet Science)
- Bradley vs. Campbell: When Fighters Fight (Boxing Scene)
- Nate Dogged by Doubters (PA Sport - UK)
- Junior Witter: Amir Khan Fight Will Probably Happen (Boxing Scene)
- Witter Wants Khan after Alexander (BBC Sport)
- Alexander Turns to Spinks (Sky Sports)
- TV Picks For The Week (Boxing Scene)
- Timothy Bradley vs Nate Campbell (Fight Writer)
- Devon Alexander vs Junior Witter (Fight Writer)
- Bradley Takes Shot at Pacquiao (The Ring)
- Bradley-Campbell: Beatings and Pain Promised (Boxing Scene)
- Bradley taunts Campbell! (Fight News)
- Bradley-Campbell, Alexander-Witter - Two Belts Will be On the Line in a Unique Championship Doubleheader (Boxing News 24)
- The Confidence Man: Nate Campbell (Mighty Gloves)
- Timothy Bradley Opens Fight Week Ready to Can Nate Campbell! (Doghouse Boxing)
- Alexander-Witter, Bradley-Campbell this Saturday Night (Boxing News 24)
- Hard-Headed: Previews And Predictions For Timothy Bradley - Nate Campbell, Devon Alexander - Junior Witter (Queensberry Rules)
- Nate Campbell Raw (Fight News)
- Where's Nate Campbell? Check Under Your Chin (The Sweet Science)
- This Saturday - Bradley-Campbell, Witter-Alexander Doubleheader (Eastside Boxing)
- Gary Shaw: "Timothy Will Absolutely Come Out of This Fight Victorious" (Fight Hype)
- Timothy Bradley Calls Out Manny Pacquiao (Bleacher Report)
- Bradley Takes on the Dangerous Campbell on August 1 (Boxing News 24)
- Campbell vs Bradley on August 1st: Could be the Beginning of Something Beautiful... (Bragging Rights Corner)
- 8CN Exclusive Interview with Nate Campbell (8 Count News)
- Bradley-Campbell Presser (Newsday.com)
- Alexander-Witter to Fight Aug. 1 (ESPN.com)
- Witter Deserves One Last Shot at Stardom (Guardian.com)
- Diaz Sizes Up Bradley's Opponent (DesertSun.com)
- Jacksonville's Campbell to Fight for Junior Welterweight Title (Jacksonville.com)
- Bradley-Campbell Presser (GoFightLive.com)
- Bradley-Campbell Presser (FightHype.com)
- Witter-Alexander to be Added Aug. 1 (BoxingScene.com)
- Bradley Presser Quotes (BoxingInsider.com)
- Bradley Press Quotes (FightFan.com)
- Expect Fireworks from Bradley (FightHype.com)
- Bradley-Campbell Presser (BoxingScene.com)
- Witter-Alexander is On (TheSweetScience.com)
- Timothy Bradley Interview Part I (DoghouseBoxing.com)
- Bradley-Campbell presser (FightNews.com)
- Nate Campbell Hopes to Avoid California Three-Peat (BoxingScene.com)
- Witter Gets Alexander Date (Sporting Life)

