Let’s Send In The Clowns: A Reprisal - Adrien Broner
By Jason Petock, Doghouse Boxing (Jan 9, 2014)
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Image / Parody © icheehuahua - Doghouse Boxing Inc.
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Boxing fans are a capricious and strange lot that can be assured. Transgress or step on the toes of one of their heralded icons or man-crushes and face the wrath, or ridiculousness, of their fury. Compound that with a fighter who lacks the class or ability to be taken even remotely seriously, such as Adrien Broner, and you may find yourself the attempted target of a sea of butt hurt hanger-ons whose only mission in life is to justify the circus act that their hero perpetuates on a daily basis.
Let it be known that no clown, especially one who dares to lace up boxing gloves while making a pure mockery out of the art of pugilism, will ever deserve even an iota of sympathy from those who spend their hard earned reserve notes of falsity so that they can watch said buffoon continue to destroy boxing. If you want to feel sorry for someone, feel sorry for the homeless on the street corner, or the starving children across the globe. Save your time and breath from grieving for a spoiled brat named Broner who changed his tune as soon as he suffered a loss. Cry us a river already and dive in head first. Everyone loses sometimes and Mayweather, Jr’s unsuccessfully carbon copied doppelganger got hung out to dry finally. Deal with it.
What should be a far more important and pressing item on the public’s mind at this point, rather than the media love fest and ass kissing that is typical after a hyped-up boxing press darling gets exposed and suffers a loss that was unexpected (meaning money was lost by many controlling interests), is where does Broner go from here?
Maidana had all the tools and pressure needed to keep a pedantic and lackluster Adrien Broner at bay while systematically beating him up and destroying his will last year in San Antonio, Texas. With an estimated 75% knockout ratio, it would be expected that Broner would be laying waste to the Welterweight division with relative ease at this point. Yet upon much closer inspection of the 24 year old Ohio fighter’s record, the public will lay witness to a highly publicized Champion who really hasn’t made his bones yet in professional boxing. Granted the lineage may quite possibly be there, although much is still left to be desired given his persona and not his potential in the ring.
Adrien Broner, however, did not always dance for the masses. He was a well-accomplished amateur in his own right amassing an impressive record of 300-19. He captured the National Silver Gloves Championship consecutively back-to-back in 2002 and 2003. Since then, while under the watchfully skillful (or stink) eye of manager Al Haymon as a professional, Broner has managed to hold three belts in three different weight classes during his career. His imitation of big brother or idol Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is laughable to true purveyors of boxing, and more than likely to even Floyd himself at this point.
Sadly, “The Problem” did show true promise early in his career and combined alongside a massive push by HBO, and a boxing media that kept his name and exploits in your face time and time again, fans believed all the snake oil salesmen once more. No boxer should be written off entirely and it takes a certain type of man cut from a certain type of cloth to do what professional prizefighters do for the entertainment value of the rest of us at the cost of their lives. But make no mistake about it; Broner has a lot of work to do to get back into the mix at this point.
If he decides to go down in weight to the Light Welterweights, Broner will only be asking for trouble. With a truly embarrassing performance against Maidana, everyone and their mother is going to be calling him out and wanting a crack at him. Once the veil is removed from a blown-up fighter, especially one like Adrien, hunting season is in full effect.
Light Welterweight is an ugly scene for “The Problem”, and with big names and serious threats to his credibility and status like Garcia, Khan, Peterson and Provodnikov running the roost, he doesn’t have a chance. Even with his impressive defense, his counterpunching techniques wouldn’t hold water to a list of far hungier and more active fighters who actually throw punches when they find an opening rather than just stand there admiring imagined perfection and performance.
If he opts to stay where he is just what would his options really be? A rematch with Maidana perhaps? Hardly. Who really wants to see him get beaten again like the dead horse that his dog and pony show has become at this juncture?
Welterweight is still chock full of credible opponents that Broner could take a stab at, with considerable risk, minus the obvious protection of Al Haymon and his strings should he be willing to do so. Thurman, Guerrero and Abregu are all waiting in the midst to still hone their crafts and reputation against a fallen superstar in the making. Or perhaps jump up to Light Middleweight.
Why not?
That division is extremely deep and he could cut his teeth, or face, among other fast risers like the Charlo brothers, Andrade, and Sandoval or try his luck with the more seasoned pros like Mayweather, Jr., Bundrage, Mosley to name a few.
Sounds slightly impossible at best, right?
All it really takes is an excessive ego, a solid defense, large mouth and lack of punching output and maybe, just maybe, we will experience the resurgence of one Adrien “The Problem” Broner. After all we should all feel sorry for him. Shouldn’t we?
If you have any questions, comments, complaints, kudos or anything else you can e-mail Jason at boxingwarrior@hotmail.com.
Always remember when in doubt knock ‘em out!
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