Adrien Broner Vs Marcos Maidana OFFICIAL BOXING BREAKDOWN – Showtime Boxing News
By Geno McGahee
This Saturday night, Adrien Broner, 27-0, 22 KO’s, will defend his WBA welterweight title against Marcos Maidana, 34-3, 31 KO’s, in a highly anticipated bout. Broner has made the headlines as much for his boxing brilliance as he has his outside of the ring activities. He has taped himself going to the bathroom and released that and then was caught up in a sex tape. He has been called the “next Floyd Mayweather JR” but talk is cheap and he must prove it. Saturday night is a step in that direction.
Broner proved that he was a great lightweight in a dominant performance over Antonio DeMarco, but a move up to welterweight wasn’t that impressive. He struggled to defeat Paulie Malignaggi in a fight that most experts felt was an easy one for the rising star. He won the fight clearly, but he didn’t do it in a dominant fashion. In Broner’s defense, Malignaggi is a tough style to fight no matter who you are, but we may have seen that the welterweight Broner isn’t as good as the lightweight Broner.
Marcos Maidana is a truth machine, if you allow him to be. In 2009, he made quite the statement in a bout with rising contender, Victor Ortiz. To the shock of many, he made Ortiz quit after six rounds. He would then land a big fight with British superstar, Amir Khan, and showed his true grit. He was dropped with a tremendous left hook to the body in round one and it looked like the fight was over, but he got up. He came on and rallied late and Khan eked by, but it helped built the legend of Maidana. He was a warrior that you would have to kill to stop.
The reputation of Maidana would take a hit when he struggled with an ancient Erik Morales. The boxing skills of Morales proved a big problem for the slugger and it created a blueprint to defeat him. Morales was far too old to do it, but Devon Alexander showed how it could be done as he dominated every round en route to a 10 round unanimous decision. Since then, he’s put together three wins, but make no mistake, he is custom made for Broner.
There are some questions heading into Saturday night. Broner struggled with Malignaggi. If he cannot hurt Maidana, how will that play out? Broner’s never really been tagged and certainly never tagged by a guy like the one that he’s facing Saturday. If Maidana should find that opening and land, how will the chin hold up? The problem for Maidana is finding it. Broner has great defense and timing and a slugger with limited skills are custom made for him. If Broner remains focused, he should cruise to an easy win and maybe even stop Maidana late, but he will have a dangerous foe in front of him the entire night.
The easy pick is Broner by decision with maybe a scare here and there. Maidana showed no ability to adjust when he lost to Alexander and if that holds true here, he’s doomed. Once Broner gets his rhythm, the fight will be over.
Saturday on Showtime, this fight will headline a full card of great fights. Like last week, this is a great gift to the boxing fans. It almost makes up for Pacquiao-Rios being a PPV.
