Earlier this week, undefeated welterweight contender Kell Brook revealed that he was offered an opportunity to face WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, but instead chose an October 20 showdown with Hector Saldivia for the mandatory position to the IBF welterweight title. Lost in that announcement, however, was the actual timing of that offer, which according to Brook's promoter, Eddie Hearn, came in August, making one wonder just how far in advance Top Rank was aware that Pacquiao would be fighting Juan Manuel Marquez.

"Top Rank contacted me in August and made us an offer for the Bradley fight. It was a nice ego boost for Kell to be offered a fight of such magnitude but we begun this journey with a goal of becoming a mandatory challenger and now we are just one win away," Hearn would comment while explaining their decision to turn down the opportunity. Coincidentally, or not, it was in late August when rumblings first surfaced that Pacquiao's fight date would be moved from November 10 to some time in December. For weeks, fans were kept in suspense, told that Pacquiao was still choosing between Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez. A decision would finally come on September 12, when Marquez was officially announced as the opponent.

The exact date in August that Top Rank reached out to Kell Brook to offer him Bradley is unknown. What we do know, however, is that in mid-August, there was a need to push Pacquiao's fight date back a month, and for weeks, fans were under the assumption that he simply hadn't made a decision yet. Keep in mind that on August 27, Bradley had a private meeting with promoter Bob Arum, Top Rank president Todd duBoef, and his manager, Cameron Dunkin, shortly after a press conference press to promote an October 13 event featuring IBF and WBO jr. featherweight champion Nonito Donaire defending his titles against Toshiaki Nishioka and former lightweight champion Brandon Rios making his jr. welterweight debut against Mike Alvarado. Was Bradley informed at that time that Top Rank had tried to make a match between himself and Brook? More importantly, was Pacquiao aware that they were already planning to schedule a bout with one of his so-called options? It seems like Top Rank may have a lot more involvement in Pacquiao's decision-making process than Arum would like you to believe.