By: Sean Crose
Adrien Broner has lost to many opponents over the years. It is said that he stopped growing as a boxer at some point. It is also said that he was a good fighter, but never great, eventually falling victim to his own hype. These may or may not be true. On the other hand, there is little doubt that Broner’s biggest rival has always been himself. Ten years ago, many, if not most, viewed this man as an arrogant, antisocial man who needed to be put in his place. Their wish came true when he was defeated by Marcos Maidana at the Alamodome in 2013.
Since that time, it has gone downhill quite a bit for the boxer nicknamed “The Problem”. For starters, Broner has only fought 11 times in the nearly decade since his loss to Maidana. In that span, he took a 6-3-1 record. With that in mind, this man has never lost to anyone who is not highly competitive. After all, Manny Pacquiao, Mikey Garcia, and Shawn Porter are all good boxers. However, before the Maidana defeat, everyone was expecting Broner to be the next Floyd Mayweather. One has to wonder what has affected Broner as he continues to suffer defeats against the sport’s bigger names.
Indeed, Broner’s mentality is impossible – or nearly impossible – to ignore. This kind of thing can be expected from people marketing their personality like Broner did, but his particular case seems pretty harsh. From sex tapes, to flushing what appears to be cash down the toilet, to arrests, to what looks like a cry for help on social media, this Cincinnati man has been around for ages. attracted a lot of attention. However, Broner has also shown the ability to acknowledge his personal problems. Moreover, Broner is only 33 years old. In other words, the public cannot see the change, both inside and outside the ring.
And at this point, everyone should be hopeful. Whatever their flaws, no one wants to see someone fall, and then fall again. This is especially true in the case of boxers, who are known from humble origins for their bravery and skill. Next weekend, Broner will face Michael Williams in a scheduled 10-round pay-per-view event. This will be his first fight in two years. Will it be the beginning of something new, or something like that? Win or lose, let’s hope it is the former.
