Broner in a No Win Situation

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Brash, cocky and arrogant are words often used to describe Adrien Broner, the former “Mr.HBO” who has been relatively silent since his first loss last December to Marcos Maidana. Broner who now dawns a bread like rapper Rick Ross is back as unapologetic as ever and facing a man fans know only slightly in Carlos Molina, not the one in jail the one that was beaten badly by Amir Khan a year and a half ago. Broner whose antics of flushing hundred dollar bills down the toilet as well as disrespecting opponents both verbally and physically by missing weight prior to the Vincente Escobedo fight in 2012 have taken a toll on fans patients and after his loss last December saw fans rejoicing at his failure. The Shtick is only good for as so long as you can hold up your end of the bargain some may say and that shtick may have just run out.

Broner is now fighting Molina, who next to no one believes can beat Broner. This is quite simply is a showcase fight on a big stage to help re-build Broner as the big star that Showtime and Golden Boy were banking on when he was on the fringe of meriting his own pay-per-view fights last year. The warning signs are now booming. Is Broner the star that he seemed destined to be or was he the product of great matchmaking and a weak division i.e. lightweight?

It seems safe to say Broner will beat Molina barring something bizarre that no one expects and more than likely will look like the monster Broner was at lightweight when he walked down smaller foes. It’s not really debatable or even much to talk about, if Broner takes the fight serious it is his to win. The bigger question is Broner the talent that we once thought he was or is he Andre Berto 2.0?

Berto, another fighter managed by Al Haymon, got hefty purses against less than stellar opposition and then fell from grace over the course of a year when the caliber of foe was increased. Broner is now in the same place as Berto was in 2012. Broner who barely got by Paulie Malignaggi and then ended the year by getting beat down by Marcos Maidana who will now fight Floyd Mayweather this weekend mainly due to his win over Broner. The brash antics and major selling point was being flamboyant and outspoken while winning. The big question is what has Broner lost with a humiliating defeat to Marcos Maidana? Broner, an arrogant young man was humiliated in the ring last December and one has to think a bit of him may not be the same as he once was.

At first, we thought the Maidana rematch was inevitable than we learned that Broner was going to move down to 140 lbs., five pounds above the weight that he was most dominant and seven pounds less than the weight class he moved up to in 2013. Broner who jumped to the welterweight division after dominating the lightweight division to gain the WBA Welterweight title from Paulie Malignaggi was never able to defend the title. This now leaves him sort of in no man’s land with two viable fights in the future based off who is fighting around the same time as him those being, Robert Guerrero and Lucas Matthysse. It’s safe to say that his performance will probably pick who he fights.

Broner according to unofficial reports Broner has outgrown the lightweight division and just simply can’t go back there. The new question is can he comfortable make junior welterweight and will his power still carry up? Broner who has made little friends along the way as his rap superstar image now has added pressure on Saturday, since the expectation is Broner will look impressive. If Broner wins like he did in the Gavin Rees fight the strength of competition will be criticized and if he does struggle then he will blasted for his inability to take out an overmatched foe.

In short Adrien Broner is simply in a spot where he cannot win and worst of all, it is all his own doing for it being this way.