THE DEMISE OF ADRIEN BRONER
What’s next for Adrien Broner?
That is a difficult question for a 25-year-old who started his career with a great deal of promise. As he walked back to his corner after a baffling performance against cross-state rival Shawn Porter on Saturday in Las Vegas, Broner had a look of relative indifference in his eyes. It was either that or a bizarre case of disillusion. He lost handily to Porter, but it was why he lost that gives rise to concern. Broner was not out-skilled or outclassed; he was simply outworked by a man who wanted it more.
That is the story of Broner: a lazy talent who believes he is a cut above the rest but is unwilling to put forth the effort to prove it.
It is hard to recall seeing such a polarizing figure with what appeared to be so much talent crash and burn in the manner in which “The Problem” has over the course of the past 18 months. Right before he lost to Marcos Maidana in 2013, it was fair to try and figure out if Broner was the next Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Zab Judah. The former might rub people the wrong way, but his dedication to his craft is unparalleled. The latter was extremely gifted but let stardom get to his head and prevent him from reaching his true potential. The Mayweather comparison went out the window the moment Broner got run over by Maidana. In retrospect, to even try to compare Broner to Judah would be an insult to Judah.
It is a fascinating downward spiral for a man who was once thought to be boxing’s next big thing. His grating personality was tolerable as long as he was winning. The fact remained that for every dollar bill he flushed down the toilet and for every video of him caught in a precarious position, the casual fan was paying attention. For better or worse, Broner was must-see TV; and for 26 consecutive fights, Broner was at the very least entertaining. From his brutal knockout of Jason Litzau in 2011 and his striking down of Gavin Rees in 2013 to a string of six consecutive knockouts, Broner looked like a special fighter with PPV draw written all over him. Then he squeaked by Paulie Malignaggi after jumping up two weight classes in a rather pedestrian performance in June 2013 and embarrassed himself with a tasteless feud over his opponent’s girlfriend.
Still, he won, and that left his image intact. Then came the Maidana defeat, and all of Broner’s deficiencies in and out of the ring surfaced in full force. The way he handled himself after that loss was deplorable and shattered his image.
You see, when you win, everything is forgivable because people either love you or simply want to see you lose. Getting under people’s skin was Mayweather’s greatest asset as he elevated himself to becoming boxing’s biggest cash cow. Everyone would pay to see if someone could finally shut him up. As long as his laundry list of opponents could not handle the job, more and more people would pay to see if and when it would happen. Unfortunately for Broner, his perfect record was shattered before he even reached that level. Nevertheless, his antics continued as he reeled off three victories that were not necessarily impressive but put him back in the win column.
Then came Porter, and the previous hiccup was realized as a true problem for a fighter ironically nicknamed “The Problem.” Broner simply could not handle pressure fighters with exceptional talent. At welterweight -- the fight with Porter was contested at a catchweight he demanded -- Broner had neither the power to keep them off of him nor the boxing ability to score points.
Watching Broner is an exercise in testing your patience. Ever since he moved up to welterweight, the 25-year-old has been unbelievably stubborn in his approach. Before, he had the ability to stand in the pocket and throw pot shots with his exceptional reflexes. Now, that power is little more than average, and his inability to put his punches together, coupled with his extraordinarily flat-footed approach, has left him wide open for criticism. We have to wonder if he was ever that good to begin with.
To make matters worse, the antics have not slowed down and Broner has yet to demonstrate anything resembling humility. In his post-fight interview, he came off as a fighter who would not come to grips with his ego. However, Instagram posts of him with a gun drew the ire of everyone because of the time proximity to the Charleston church shootings. He can call Mayweather his big brother all he wants, but sooner or later, he is going to have to take a hint and either emulate his work ethic or figure out when to turn off his controversial personality. It might be wise for him to do both.
Trying to figure out where he goes from here is a challenge. Clearly, he is not a threat to the elite 147-pounders and would be soundly thumped by the likes of Keith Thurman, Timothy Bradley and Manny Pacquiao. Honestly, Errol Spence Jr., who has drawn Mayweather’s praise and was exceptional in his undercard fight, would likely beat Broner handily. If he moves back to 140, fights against Ruslan Provodnikov, Lucas Matthysse and Lamont Peterson would all be dangerous and likely find him as the underdog.
The only fight that would make sense on a marketing level would be against Amir Khan because of their history of trading barbs. If he is going to lose, it might as well be to a guy like Khan so he can make enough money to rip into pieces before fading into obscurity. Broner serves a cautionary tale for any fighter who wants to be the next big thing but is unwilling to learn that it takes more than a loud mouth and talent to get to that level.
In a recent Instagram post, Broner declared: “When you rich and enjoying life but they still hating ……… I won’t ever change!!!!” Yes, but what happens when you aren’t rich because you aren’t winning? Will you change then?
