The Ego Of Adrien Broner Is His Biggest Problem

At 24-years of age boxer Adrien Broner has become an enigma. Broner has a professional record of 28-1 and he is a three-division champion. Broner should be looked at as one of the future pillars of the sweet science, but his mouth is writing checks that his body cannot cash. In spite of what some purist think, professional sports is truly entertainment. Broner wants to be an entertainer, but he has been unable to stay within the realm of good sportsmanship.
Broner comes to his bouts with an entourage that has consisted of rappers such as French Montana and Rick Ross. Broner has also surrounded himself with people in his corner that are only interested in telling him how good he is while they simply collect a paycheck from him.

After overpowering opponents en route to becoming the WBC Lightweight Champion, Broner moved up to the welterweight division last year. Last June, Broner took on then WBA Welterweight Champion Paulie Malignaggi. Broner moved up two weight classes for the fight with Malignaggi which was looked at as a litmus test for him to see how he would be able to handle the welterweight division. Instead of dominating Malignaggi, Broner won a controversial split-decision to win the WBA Welterweight Title. After the fight Broner and Malignaggi embraced, but the youngster could not leave well enough alone. In his in-ring, post-fight interview with Showtime’s Jim Gray, Broner said that “I came to Brooklyn and lifted Paulie’s belt and his girl” which didn’t sit well with Malignaggi who immediately confronted him.

Last December, Broner had the first defense of his title against Marcos Maidana of Argentina. Broner figured that he could go to the Alamodome in San Antonio,Texas to dance around the ring for 12 rounds, but instead he was taught a boxing lesson that night by Maidana. After attempting to “hump” Maidana in the first round, Broner woke up a sleeping giant. In the second round Broner was knocked down to the canvas for the first time as a professional to the approval of the crowd in San Antonio. Broner would get knocked down once more in the fight before losing the WBA Welterweight Title via unanimous decision. The man that is known to have never met a camera that he hasn’t liked in Broner left the ring before conducting an interview with Gray in the effort to “beat traffic”.

Broner returned to the ring last Saturday to face Carlos Molina for the vacant WBA International Super Lightweight Title. Broner earned the unanimous decision, but his mouth once again got him into trouble.

In his post-fight interview with Gray, Broner set forth on a profanity laced tirade where he insulted the Mexican community by stating that he “just f—– up a Mexican”. Broner started the interview stating that he had been humbled after the loss to Maidana only to once again put his foot into his mouth.

If Broner has not learned humility, the World Boxing Council has set out to teach it to him as they have suspended him for his remarks. The WBC will give Broner the opportunity to apologize for his remarks, but until then he cannot appear on their rankings nor any of their sanctioned fights.

Broner does not have a problem with being the villain or being controversial, but he is walking the fine line of that razor’s edge. Broner is not ready for the top fighters of the welterweight division and if he wants to the best, there is only so much that Golden Boy Promotions will be able to do in order to shield him before he has to get into the ring with the likes of Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman. Broner wants to be Floyd Mayweather, but there is only one Floyd Mayweather. Mayweather’s style works for him and him only. Mayweather is currently the biggest star in boxing, but no one in the sport works harder than him in order for him to keep that crown. Broner simply believes his own press clippings and the hype men that are on his payroll.

Broner does not have the power or the skills to be a good fighter at the welterweight division. Broner can overpower fighters at the lightweight division, but he is also not ready for the junior welterweight division at 140 lbs., which is currently dominated by WBA, WBC, and Ring Magazine Champion Danny Garcia.

At this point Broner needs to worry more about winning fights and less on being an entertainer. If not, Broner will soon find himself on the outside looking in at the boxing scene.