Just two years ago Adrien Broner was on the fast track to main event superstardom – on Saturday he was booed incessantly as he boxed his way to mundane undercard success.
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One thing, however, remains consistent. He is still a thoroughbred cretin.
Broner revels in playing the fool but his transformation from an elite prospect to a clown boxer more known for social media vulgarity than ringcraft is tinged with sadness, as it represents a criminal waste of talent.
It raises the question, is he too stupid to go to the top? The answer at the moment is an overwhelming yes.
After all, this is a man who in 2012 missed the weight for a title defence by a mile following weeks of tweeting pictures of junk food. A man who has posted several videos of himself using the toilet or flushing money down one (below – WARNING! Video contents explicit language), and a man who at 25 is expecting a sixth child, with five previously born to multiple women.
A life as reckless as Broner’s is hardly conducive to a long and prosperous career as an athlete, and he needs the wisdom and guidance of a good team around him. So far he has had precious little.
His defeat of John Molina on Saturday was his third consecutive fight against, at best, B-level opposition. He boxed smartly and won a comfortable decision but a three-division title holder should be facing far sterner tests than the one offered by the plodding Molina, who has now lost three on the bounce.
It was also Broner’s third fight as a light-welterweight, suggesting a concerted campaign at 140lbs, which is a smart but long overdue strategy. Indeed, aside from his rampant unprofessionalism, his premature jump to the full welterweight division is what proved his undoing.
After mopping up at lightweight he leapt two whole divisions in June 2013 to take a split decision over WBA champion Paulie Malignaggi.
The light-punching New Yorker was a perfect choice for Broner, who could impose his superior athleticism without fear of being tagged by anything meaty. But whoever decided he should next face Argentine wild man Marcos Maidana should never advise a boxer ever again.
Arguably the most heavy handed man at the weight, a Maidana motivated by the chance to ruin a rising star and revive his own career was a ludicrously risky option. Broner was carried out of the ring with a broken jaw after 12 excruciating rounds.
Three fights against limited opposition seems excessive rebuilding even after a loss as wounding as that one, and Broner and his team now have some big decisions to make if his career is to be salvaged.
He’d be smart to stay at 140lbs (if he can keep the weight off), where there are plenty of solid options for him.
Broner versus the winner of the upcoming Danny Garcia/Lamont Peterson fight would generate considerable interest, while there are also the likes of Jessie Vargas, Chris Algieri or even Terence Crawford, who would represent a step back to a higher class.
The good news for him is that people are still interested. Saturday’s show at the MGM Grand was the first of a new series promoted by super agent Al Haymon which sees boxing return to regular network TV in the US for the first time in 30 years.
The fact that Broner was handpicked for the opening instalment is telling. He’s a character – albeit a rancid one – and he polarises opinion. Most want to see him beaten senseless but for others he is something of a guilty pleasure.
But the man known as ‘The Problem’ has a few too many of his own at the moment and he needs to choose the right path as his career continues to linger at a crossroads.
Good week – Glen Tapia
Tapia looked impressive in stopping Daniel Dawson in China on Saturday, battering the Australian into submission inside three rounds.
The New Jersey fighter was beaten in emphatic fashion by the powerful James Kirkland in December 2013 but continued his comeback with a third knockout win in a row.
That run of victories has moved him up the light middleweight rankings and has him heading in the right direction once again.
And the new WBO-NABO Champion, Glen JerseyBoy Tapia!!! #HistoryInTheMaking pic.twitter.com/svQVVXfeIU
— #JerseyBoy (@RealGlenTapia) March 7, 2015
Bad week – Zou Shiming
Fighting for a world title in only his seventh bout as a pro, China’s Shiming suffered a heartbreaking loss on home soil as he was he out-pointed by Thailand’s Amnat Ruenroeng in Macau on Saturday.
Zou, despite having Manny Pacquiao’s fabled trainer Freddie Roach in his corner, appeared to lack the craft to cut off the ring and trap the Thai, and never really threatened to hurt his opponent.
Ruenroeng boxed from range to coast home 116-111 on all three judges’ scorecards.
Flashback – Bowe crushes Hide to take WBO heavyweight title
Herbie Hide talked a good game but – 10 years ago this week – was always up against it going in with the naturally bigger and stronger Riddick Bowe.
Englishman Hide started well enough but Bowe on this form was an absolute beast and put his opponent on the deck seven times before it was eventually stopped midway through the sixth round.
