Adrien Broner was asked why he resonates with a lot of people and came up with an answer that makes sense. “I’m not boring,” he told Boxing Junkie.
Indeed, his antics and out-of-the ring tribulations seem to be at least part of the reason many remain interested in him. He has 1.1 million followers on Instagram and a quarter million on Twitter even though he hasn’t fought in more than two years and hasn’t won a fight since 2017.
Perhaps people forget there’s a fighter under there, one who has won major titles in four divisions by the age of 26. And, because he’s been for a long time, they might not realize that remains a young man. He’s only 31.
Broner is now focused on that, his youth, the fact he has more to give in the sport. His return starts on Feb. 20, when he takes on Jovanie Santiago at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. (Showtime), but, he says, that’s only the start.
He has big goals. And he doesn’t care whether you believe he’ll achieve them.
“I don’t care about people who doubt me,” he said. “I’ve been doubted my whole career. If I listened to them, I never would’ve won a world title let alone four in four weight classes. I don’t pay them no mind.”
Broner’s accomplishments can’t be ignored. His combination of ability and punching power allowed him to dominate opponents in the first half of his career, in which he won major titles at junior lightweight, lightweight, welterweight and then junior welterweight.
A.B. went from an abbreviation of name to About Billions, as he tried to emulate his role model – Floyd Mayweather – in terms of both earnings and accomplishments.
Then it all fell apart.
Broner (33-4-1, 24 KOs) is only 6-4-1 (2 KOs) in his last 11 fights, with one-sided losses against Marcos Maidana, Shawn Porter, Mikey Garcia and, most recently, Manny Pacquiao. A.B. heard the final bell in each of those fights but was outclassed, which has taken a toll on his legacy.
What happened? Had he moved too high in weight? Three of the losses came at 147. Had he lost focus? Legal, financial and other issues can be distractions. Or was he just never as good as we thought.
Broner didn’t have much to say about that past, preferring to look ahead.
“Who knows?” he said when asked what went wrong. “It’s just how the cookie crumbles. I don’t stay stuck in the past, I move forward. I’m pushing to win another world title. That’s what I want.”
Broner seems to have renewed focus on his career.
Where did that come from? He has a number of motivations. He has a family for which to provide, which is provide. He believes his resume already is worthy of International Boxing Hall of Fame induction but, as he said, he wants more. And there’s a more basic motivation that’s easy to understand.
“I’ve had time to miss it,” said Broner, who fought Pacquiao in January 2019.
He seems to be doing the work as the fight with the novice Santiago (14-0-1, 10 KOs) — a late replacement — approaches. They will do battle at 140 pounds, which Broner acknowledged is his natural weight.
He has shed a reported 35 pounds by controlling what goes into his body, whether that’s food or anything else that isn’t ideal for an athlete. As he put it, “I stay away from all the B.S. I’m doing it right this time.”
And he isn’t getting ahead of himself. Yes, he wants – plans — to win a fifth world championship. However, he’s a veteran of the sport. He knows he can’t look beyond Santiago at what might lied ahead, which in a perfect world would include a date with the winner of the Josh Taylor-Jose Ramirez fight for the undisputed junior welterweight title.
He only asks that you pay attention because you might be surprised at what you see.
“I’m still young,” he said. “I’ve got a lot more to do. I’m going to win more titles. And I’m putting in the work to get it done. I’m just back and focused on boxing, dedicating myself to the sport. Everyone will see on Feb. 20.
“And then I’ll just stay ready, stay in the gym until my time comes.”
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