Top Rank reserves September date for Bradley-Marquez

Top Rank Inc. has requested that Sept. 14 at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas be reserved for a welterweight title fight between champion Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez, Keither Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, said via email Tuesday.

If this fight comes to fruition, that means a fifth fight between Marquez and Manny Pacquiao wouldn’t happen this year.

Lee Samuels, a Top Rank spokesman, said he wasn’t certain how close his boss – Bob Arum – is to formally announcing Bradley-Marquez.

Bradley, of Palm Springs, is coming off a unanimous decision over Ruslan Provodnikov in a vicious 12-round fight in March at Home Depot Center

Marquez, of Mexico City, knocked out Pacquiao in the sixth round this past December in his most recent start.

Bradley, 29, is 30-0 with 12 knockouts. Marquez, 39, is 55-6-1 with 40 knockouts.

For those wondering why Arum reserved this fight for Thomas & Mack Center, rival Golden Boy Promotions already has the MGM Grand reserved for Sept. 14. That request was made by Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, presumably for Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s second fight of this year. Mayweather is defending his welterweight belt on May 4 at MGM Grand.

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