By Nick Tylwalk
Ready for a pair of Air Bradleys?
Yeah, probably not, but it's still big news that Nike has signed Timothy Bradley to a one-year deal, and will be hooking up Desert Storm with his training apparel, trunks and robe for his June 9 meeting with Manny Pacquiao. Or as Jay-Z might have said a few years back, "All Nike everything."
It's a big step up for Bradley, and a bit of a hedge for Nike. The company already sponsors (and makes plenty of money off of) Pacquaio, though he may soon be moving to Brand Jordan. If Manny knocks Timmy out, the world can keep on turning like it did before. But if Timmy pulls off the upset, he can (and already said he would) talk to Nike about a re-up.
The low-key Bradley would seem like an unusual choice to be Nike's face of boxing in the U.S., but he's undefeated and still on the right side of 30, and the company obviously feels a win over Pacquiao would give him enough exposure to catapult him to the front of the line. The spot is certainly wide open as soon as Floyd Mayweather decides to call it quits - at least until Adrien Broner becomes a big deal - so this might give Bradley a leg up.
Now all he has to do is win, which could be the tricky part. But at least he'll be looking official while he tries.
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