Timothy Bradley to Return to Ring Dec. 13

By City News Service:

Coachella Valley native Timothy Bradley will fight Diego Chaves of Argentina in Las Vegas on Dec. 13 in a matchup of former welterweight champions coming off losses, promoters announced this week.

The scheduled 12-round welterweight fight will be held at The Cosmopolitan hotel and be shown live on HBO.

“I’m excited to get back into the ring and showcase myself,” Bradley told ESPN.com. “Chaves is not that well known but boxing fans know him.

“The boxing fans know that this guy can fight and that it won’t be a walk in the park for me.”

Bradley (31-1, 12 KOs), who was born in Cathedral City and lives in Palm Springs, lost for the first time as a professional on April 12 on a unanimous decision to Manny Pacquiao in the third defense of the World Boxing Organization welterweight championship he won from Pacquiao on a split decision on June 29, 2012.

Chaves, 23-2 with 19 KOs, lost on a ninth-round disqualification to former World Boxing Association lightweight champion Brandon Rios in a scheduled 10-round fight Aug. 2 when referee Vic Drakulich ruled he intentionally hit Rios in the face with an elbow.

“We both have a lot to prove on Dec. 13,” said Chaves, a former WBA interim welterweight champion, ranked seventh in the division by the WBA.

Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com and www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are priced from $40 to $150.