The big name boxers of this era are slowly exiting the scene, the most recent of which is Timothy Bradley Jr. He follows Juan Manuel Marquez who also hung up his gloves earlier on.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is technically the third name in the mix until he agreed to that unusual showdown with UFC champion Conor McGregor. After Aug. 26, the American boxer has reiterated that not even money would lure him back for another boxing match.

Timothy Bradley looks ahead

One issue tied up to boxers is the beating they get from each bout. Bradley is aware that with the shots he has taken, brain injury is inevitable.

Though he has no clue on the extent of damage his brain has already taken, he chooses to do the next best thing to at least minimize the possibility according to Boxingscene.

Looking at his age (34), Bradley could still fight if he wanted to. But the problem is that fighting on may make no sense. “Desert Storm” points out how he made good money from the sport, a large chunk of which came from his trilogy with Manny Pacquiao.

Speaking of Pacquiao, his controversial win against the Filipino back in 2012 was a burden to carry. He reportedly entertained suicidal thoughts though he was able to get himself back together. His return slugfest with Ruslan Provodnikov in 2013 allowed him to re-establish himself.

It also served as his wakeup call to look after his health.

The Bradley vs Provodnikov fight was a brutal battle that left the former suffering a concussion. Apparently, “Desert Storm” does not want that to happen again and retiring now can at least prevent further damage to his brain – in the event, it does happen.

Mayweather fight would have been grand

Bradley has fought almost all the big names in boxing except for one – Mayweather. Right now, it doesn’t look likely that both Americans will get that chance.

Mayweather chooses his opponents well and only picks fights that make sense (and money). Bradley may not necessarily fall under that category despite being a good fighter.

Also, Mayweather made it clear that he will go back to being retired after the Conor McGregor fight. This time, not even money can lure him back to the ring. Like Bradley, Mayweather is looking to spend more time with his family and look out for his health.

With Bradley, Marquez and Mayweather headed towards the exit; the question now is whether Pacquiao will follow. The eight-time division champion plans to fight Jeff Horn once again in November, looking to redeem his loss last month.

Way older than Bradley, Pacquiao has defied calls to retire. However, he may want to follow the American boxer’s lead and watch out for his health too – particularly his brain.
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