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Timothy Bradley went down in the first round and again in the last, getting battered in every corner of the chilly outdoor ring by an unheralded Russian opponent with none of Manny Pacquiao's reputation or esteem. Bradley absorbed every shot and countered nearly every blow with punishment of his own, fighting on wobbly legs to a victory that should boost his reputation and career in a way that beating Pacquiao never did. Bradley overcame an early round thrashing and a last-minute knockdown to win a narrow unanimous decision over Ruslan Provodnikov on Saturday night, defending his WBO welterweight belt in dramatic style. With steam rising from his shaved head on a frigid Southern California night, Bradley (30-0) barely survived a thriller with the Freddie Roach-trained Provodnikov (22-2) in the champion's first bout since winning a much-debated split decision over Pacquiao last June. Few fans believed that verdict -- but nobody could doubt Bradley's heart now. “I gave it everything I had,“ Bradley said. “Every ounce I had, I gave.“ Bradley appeared to be out on his feet at times the opening two rounds against his Russian challenger, even tumbling to the canvas in a first-round fall that was ruled an accidental slip. Bradley then was forced to take a knee with 10 seconds left in the 12th round after one last barrage from Provodnikov. But Bradley also punished Provodnikov with multiple shots all night, causing huge cuts and swelling on the face of the “Siberian Rocky,“ who excelled in the biggest fight of his career. Judges Marty Denkin and Jerry Cantu scored the bout 114-113 for Bradley, and Raul Caiz Sr. favored Bradley 115-112. The Associated Press also scored it 114-113 for Bradley on the strength of his middle-round dominance.
