Tim Bradley Jr. hopes vegan diet will give him edge over Pacquiao

While the stereotype of the typical boxer is one of a protein-devouring carnivore, slamming down steaks and draining cups of raw eggs, the 28-0 Timothy Bradley Jr. is going the other way, espousing a vegan diet that he hopes will keep him sharper when he faces Manny Pacquiao in June.   "Dude, I swear, it's the most unbelievable feeling ever," Bradley told the Wall Street Journal in an exclusive interview. "My thoughts are clearer, crisp. I am sharp. Everything is working perfectly - I feel clean."   Though he was once a "meat and potatoes" guy like many Americans, an adviser asked Bradley to consider a switch to the greens back in 2008, prior to a fight in London. He hasn't turned back since.   The junior welterweight champion actually does not go vegan for the entire year, but adapts the diet three months prior to a bout.   A vegan diet can be considered a more focused type of vegetarian diet. While some vegetarians swear off just red meat, allowing themselves to partake of fish and/or eggs, a vegan eats just vegetables, fruits, grains and beans, eschewing all animal products entirely.   Bradley, who describes the bout against Pacquiao as "new blood going against old blood," is just one of several athletes who are vegan.   Tennis star Venus Williams, former NBA player John Salley, track and field star Carl Lewis, and WWE star Bryan Danielson (in-ring name: Daniel Bryan) count themselves as vegans. Also, one of the most infamous boxers in history, Mike Tyson, became a vegan after retiring from the ring.   If Bradley is able to achieve a major upset by dispatching the Sarangani congressman, perhaps the vegetables he takes in can be credited for the extra energy he'll put out.   Pacquiao versus Bradley is scheduled for June 9 (June 10, PHL time) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. — RSJ, GMA News