Adrien Broner: 99 Problems and Broner is the BIGGEST ONE
By Simon “Simon Says” Traversy
Halfway through the writing of part III of my dear Eurasian fighters, I’ve decided to watch the Broner-Porter fight, and I must say, I felt quite inspired afterwards. I thus decided to temporarily put the third part of my master’s thesis on the shelf and follow my inspiration. In part one, we’ll look back at Broner’s beginnings in the world of boxing all the way to his ascension to the top. In part two, we’ll take a look at Broner’s current struggles, where he now stands, and what he should do to get himself and his career back on track. Enjoy.
Introduction
True Detective’s second season finally premiered last Sunday and it wasn’t a second too soon. In terms of intelligence and depth, it’s by far the best TV series since Breaking Bad. Hannibal in my own humble opinion isn’t trailing far behind. I felt sorry for Taylor Kitsch’s erectile dysfunction at such a young age, but I must confess that Colin Farrell’s Michael-Douglas-like-Falling-Down moment at the end of the show made my day. Unfortunately Hannibal has been recently canceled. Sob, sob. Low ratings (more like low viewer IQ if you ask me) are apparently the reason for NBC’s decision to cut the cord after three seasons. Another great show with limitless potential which gets the axe in favor of other clueless and insipid ones. Oh well. Help Netflix, you’re our only hope. The thing I particularly like about such shows is that they go to the very core of things. If you find a way to look pass the crude, Fight Club-esque, nihilistic, life-is-sheisse recurrent theme that those three shows all have in common, there is some kind of poetry that radiates from them. Many different aspects of human psychology is thoroughly dissected and analyzed, and I believe that’s what makes them so good (on top of the uncanny level of acting). I enjoy that because personally, I always thought that in order to fully grasp something (or someone), you have to dig deep in order to reach the essence of that which you are trying to comprehend. Therefore, in order to fully understand why Adrien Broner isn’t as successful as people thought he would be, and where he should go from now, we’ll be using that very same approach.
AB’s First Steps into Boxing
Adrien Broner was the youngest and smallest of 6 children. Apparently Adrien weighed only 45lbs when he started boxing as a young kid (some sources claim he started at 9, others at 6 or even as early as 5). In fact Broner was so light that he couldn’t even be paired with anybody. If that wasn’t enough, his twin brother Andre, who also boxed at the time, would often pick on his twin brother. And to give you an idea, Andre was the powerhouse of the two and a southpaw on top of that. To add insult to injury, the young AB often lost his sparring sessions at the beginning; yet that never deterred him from going back to the gym, let alone from asking for more in the ring. This fact right there might very well explain Broner’s “Anyone–can-get- it ‘’ slogan and “life” philosophy. He never seemed intimidated by the competition and always welcomed all comers with his everlasting swagger and a level of calmness and self-assurance which often flirted with arrogance and boldness. Love him or hate him and say what you will about Adrien Broner, he’ll fight anyone. However that fact right there might also explain his current predicament.
Amateur Career & A Problem in the Making
After dominating the amateur ranks, Adrien Broner’s nickname “The Problem’’ was given to him by his twin brother Andre, because Adrien was a puzzle which his opponents simply couldn’t solve. According to Adrien himself, he and his brother Andre “wreaked havoc” wherever they went. With an overall career of 300-19 and a Silver Gloves championship, the young up-and-coming Broner was seemingly destined for greatness. Meanwhile his idol Floyd Mayweather was already a mainstream success and Broner strived to one day fill in those enormous shoes and follow in those very same footsteps.
Pro Debut & Mainstream Success
After leaving his mark in the amateur ranks, Broner decided to turn pro at 18 years of age. He made his pro debut in the super Featherweight division on May 31rst 2008 against little-known Allante Davis. Broner won his first pro fight by first-round knockout. For his next 18 consecutive fights, Broner fought steadily against lesser fighters in order to build both his port-folio and fortify his growing ego. His first real test occurred when Broner faced off Daniel Ponce de León. Broner won the fight by unanimous decision. Broner then when on to fatten up his KO record by defeating respectively Jason Litzau (TKO), Vicente Martin Rodríguez (KO), Eloy Pérez (KO), Vicente Escobedo (TKO), Antonio DeMarco (TKO) and Gavin Reese (TKO). Broner’s convincing victories over Rodriguez and DeMarco earned him respectively the vacant WBO super Featherweight title, and the WBC Lightweight title. His second test came when Broner faced off with then-WBA Welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi which Broner won by split-decision. And then, just like that, at only 23 years old, Adrien “The Problem” Broner was already a three-time world champion. Sky seemed to be the limit and the comparisons between him and his idol Floyd Mayweather couldn’t have been stronger. The fighting style, the vanity, and his unblemished record even persuaded Mayweather himself to accept the comparison with open arms and take the young, promising Broner under his wing (now now, jealousy is an ugly sin Justin). And of course, if Mayweather says yea, his disciples will obviously give the thumbs up as well which they did. “Seats” on the Broner band wagon were “selling” like hot cakes and the “Big brother/Lil Brother” stigma was thus created and firmly linked both fighters together. Broner happily indulged into the mainstream success, showiness, and new-found wealth he was beginning to amass and had always dreamed of. The ‘’About Billions’’ moniker and online reality show were also created and virtually nothing seemed to stop Broner’s rise towards fame and greatness.
Chino’s Reality Check
And then along came Marcos Rene Maidana, a fighter as similar to Broner in terms of boxing styles and personality as day and night or North and South. If Broner is flashy, arrogant, agitated, loud, eccentric and exuberant, Maidana is soft-spoken, calm and humble. The style difference promised a good competitive fight, with Broner labeled as the stylistically craftier boxer who was supposed to box the more rugged, unpolished, but cagey, fearless, relentless, brutish puncher. The most important factor was that Maidana was in no way intimidated or impressed by Broner’s antics, reputation or record. He came to fight as any good Latin American fighter does. Broner was quickly outmatched by Maidana’s power and constant pressure. By the end of the first round, Broner held Maidana from behind and performed a few forward pelvic movements towards Maidana’s rear end, probably to show his support of gay marriage. However Broner’s tasteless joke quickly turned on him by the beginning of the following round and metaphorically-speaking, “The Problem” found himself to be one at the “receiving end” of his own gest. ‘’ El Chino’’ dropped Broner twice, once in the second (I’ve seen fights stopped for far less, yet it continued), and the second time in the eighth round. Then Broner showed us his acting talent after he threw himself on the canvas following a head-butt by Maidana, seemingly tired of all the holding (I’m sure team Italy’s national soccer team took some notes there). Broner had a few good moments but those were too few and far between to cast any doubt in anyone’s mind. Maidana would spend the remainder of the fight walking all over Broner and brutalizing him on his way towards an easy unanimous decision. This would be Broner’s first professional loss, but not his last.
Comeback
As expected from a promising fighter who suffered his first loss, Broner took on a few rehabilitating, tune-up fights to heal his ego and rebuild his self-confidence (even though I personally believe they were never hurt or lost in the first place.) He won his next three fights against Carlos Molina, Emmanuel Taylor, and John Molina Jr. quite convincingly by unanimous decision. After dry-humping Maidana, Broner then went on to make yet another classy remark about Mexicans (probably to impress big brother) immediately after his victory over Carlos Molina. Nevertheless the combination of Broner’s bold racial slurs and series of convincing UDs seemed to be sufficient proof that he was back on track. His recent in-ring performances managed to convince the majority of fans that the Maidana loss had only been a hiccup attributable to immaturity and overconfidence. Ironically, they were right and that wasn’t the end of it.
Showtime
Overconfident, Broner fought his worst fight of his career against Shawn Porter. He was gun-shy, had no idea what to do, wrestled, tackled, held, ran, pushed, shoved, elbowed, head locked (I guess that’s one thing he learned well from “big Brother”). Baffled, he tried to project his too-cool-for-school attitude during the fight, but perhaps he should’ve paid attention in class when Mayweather was trying to advise him. Honestly Broner looked more like a sumo wrestler than a boxer. Mayweather knows how to steal rounds, when to fight a big name [and when not to], when to punch, when to stick ’n move, and when to hold and/or run when the other guy gets frustrated and/or desperate. In the Porter fight, Broner was as clueless as politicians when you’re asking them for answers (the truth). I really like Porter by the way. He’s a bit like Maidana in terms of personality and fighting style. He comes to fight and he’s classy. Less powerful, but craftier and faster. And he won some serious points in my book when he man-handled the loud-mouthed Paulie Mali…(sorry I’m tired of googling his name). If you’d listen to him verbatim, you’d come to think everybody’s on PEDs including the rings girls (they have definitely being enhanced, but drugs have nothing to do with it) and by the way, I didn’t know that taking performance enhancing drugs would systematically turn me into a complete fighter. That’s why after this article, I will head to the nearest gym, find the biggest douchebag, buy myself a pharmacy, challenge Sergey Kovalev, knockout him out cold, and rule the light heavyweight division with an iron fist. However I agreed with Paulie’s comment about 100-year old refs who are still active. I mean you may have been the best getaway driver during World War II, but at 93, doesn’t mean you’re still as sharp behind the wheel. Same principle applies to aging referees.
The Problem Exposed & Crossroads
And then, just like that, as fast as he rose to fame and mainstream success, Broner is falling out of favor almost just as quickly. And the “Problem’s” problem is that he doesn’t seem willing to learn from his mistakes and he doesn’t seem eager to change for the better. After watching his lackluster “performance” (I felt brackets were a must here) against Porter, it was clear to me that the Maidana loss wasn’t just a mishap. And if you care to look closely, you’ll notice that more than one observers believed that Broner should’ve lost his fights against Ponce de León and Malignaggi. But he was quickly becoming the new sensation and perhaps being flashier and far younger than both Ponce de León, and Paulie M.
The “Problem’s” Problem
Broner’s problem is his immaturity. His belittling of his current situation after his He doesn’t listen to anyone, not even his idol. Broner simply doesn’t seem to care; and if he does, he acts like he doesn’t which is the same thing in the end in terms of net result. Broner’s problem is that he constantly tries to be Floyd Mayweather instead of being Adrien Broner, whoever that is. He’s constantly trying to be the replica of his idol Floyd Mayweather. That formula may have worked against lesser fighters, but against the elite, against guys who care as much about him as Broner cares about them or anybody else for that matter, that simply won’t cut it. He got his candy ass royally kicked by Maidana and other than that left hook that knocked Porter down, he looked like an amateur next to him. By unsuccessfully trying to emulate Floyd Mayweather, he’s quickly going from boxing’s next great hope to boxing’s next great joke. And you can’t simply expect to win at elite level and accomplish anything if you’re not being yourself, or worse, if you don’t know who the heck you are to begin with. And let’s face it, he’s not Floyd Mayweather; not in terms of talent, not in terms of intelligence. Not thus far. I never liked Mayweather because I never liked arrogant jerks who walk, talk and act like they own the planet. The way he fights (or actually doesn’t) isn’t my cup of tea either. But that doesn’t mean I can’t give credit where credit is due.
Mayweather is cerebral and calculated, he knows how to play the game, and he understands that everything (and by “everything” I mean bling, herds of easy b*tches with questionable moral values, cars, yesmen, Justin Bieber etc.) stems from winning. If you win long enough, you get the long straw. If you win long enough, you get the bigger piece of the pie. If you win long enough, you get to call the shots and set the ground rules to handicap your foe. Mayweather knows who to fight, and who not to fight, he knows when to fight someone and when not to fight someone, he knows where to fight, and where not to fight; he knows how to “fight” to guarantee him victory, and how not to fight to risk defeat. Broner’s motto, “ anybody can get it”, is perhaps more noble than Mayweather’s safe-card approach, but so far it’s making him look bad more than it makes him look good. Broner’s problem is that he can’t prioritize. He seems more interested by everything that gravitates around boxing than boxing itself. He genuinely seems more concerned by his ring entrance than by the guy he’s about to face in the ring. Confidence is good as it enables you to tap into your full potential. Overconfidence however blinds you and prevents you from seeing the truth. It makes you reckless and recklessness is probably the fastest, most efficient way to make you lose a fight and a few brain cells.
I Think a Change Would Do Him Good
Broner needs to grow up. The “About Billions” creed is beginning to sound more like a satirical joke turned on him than something cool a fly rapper would say. A few fights ago Broner’s net worth was slightly over a million dollars. By comparison to the gargantuan financial standards he’s aiming for, he’s closer to the motto “ About Breadcrumbs” than billions. Attitude-wise, he needs to let go of the Dennis-the-Menace-too-cool-for-school persona and approach his fights with a serious and dedicated mindset. The bling the size of the Titanic’s anchor that he bought right after the Porter fight was just plain-view proof of his misguidance and immaturity. Perhaps taking some time off away from the limelight (if he can endure that!) and away from all the distractions, would be a wise decision. He needs to reflect, do some soul-searching, and figure out what he really wants to do. Boxing is not a game, and if he keeps belittling his opponents and taking them lightly, he’s the one who’s going to get it…again. His coach needs to tighten up the bolt and put his foot down as well in regards to Broner’s level of professionalism. He shouldn’t have to tell Broner to stop playing it to the crowd right in the middle of a fight. He shouldn’t accept Broner’s weight issues either only a few days before fights. Perhaps they should set up training camp in Reykjavik, Iceland; or in Anchorage, Alaska to keep Broner’s ego in check and his mind on the job.
Furthermore if Mayweather is truly his idol, then maybe he especially should start listening to him when he’s giving him sound advice instead of pretending that he’s on top of things. Mayweather, for all the personality flaws he may have, never took an opponent lightly [or his training for that matter]. When he told Broner that he needed to fix some flaws in his game to be able to keep competing at world-class level, I’m pretty sure he meant it. Maidana was, and still is, no joke. I personally had Maidana [win] by split decision in his first bout against Mayweather, but I knew that because the fight was so close, the win would go to Mayweather. When you have a guy win by split decision, that automatically means one judge voted for the other guy. And that’s where Mayweather’s business smarts come into play: he knew that should the fight be a close call, Maidana wouldn’t have the fan base, the resume, the sway, or the passport to officially become the first man to beat him. That’s why Mayweather only fights in Vegas and nowhere else. Fighting exclusively in Vegas isn’t just a question of money, it’s also almost an insurance policy. That’s also why he always imposes so many conditions and restrictions before fighting a guy. That’s the kind of fine print Broner will have to learn to read if he expects to remain a top contender. He needs to understand that “Big Brother” can say this or that, because “Big Brother” has been there doing this or that for nearly 20 years. Love him or hate him, exciting or boring, landslide victory or narrow call, Mayweather always finds a way to win. Broner doesn’t have the pedigree or the people’s unconditional love to act like he’s in total control. He still has to “make his bones” and prove himself. Finally perhaps revamping his own image would help. Starting over and anew. A fresh start. Maybe he should travel to Texas and have a burger with George Foreman [cooked on his grill of course] and ask him how he did it when everybody was laughing at him when he announced his comeback. Time will tell.
This concludes our analysis of Adrien Broner. I’m still undecided about next week’s topic so I guess I’ll just play it by ear. Until then, Simon says stay safe, take care of yourselves and what’s around you, and I rarely say this, but for all those of you out there dying to donate me some money, you should resist that urge (only this one time though) and think of the families of the victims of the Charleston shooting.
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