Mayweather: Broner was flat-footed [against Malignaggi]; he has a lot to learn

By Dan Ambrose: Floyd Mayweather Jr. didn’t sound too impressed with Adrien Broner (27-0, 22 KO’s) in evaluating his 12 round split decision win over Paulie Malignaggi (32-5, 7 KO’s) last Saturday night. Mayweather Jr. says that he thought Broner should have knocked Malignaggi out, and he didn’t like the way he was just standing in front of him. Mayweather Jr. says Broner has got a lot of things he needs to improve on his game.

Mayweather Jr. said to esnewsporting “There’s a lot of things he [Broner] still needs to learn. I thought he should have got the knockout. He was flat-footed. With my career, they try to compare the two, and I love the kid, but you got to look at my career. I had already fought a guy that was crafty at 21 in Genaro Hernandez.”

Mayweather stopped Genaro Hernandez in the 8th round in October 1998, and yes, Hernandez was a crafty fighter and a lot tougher to fight than Malignaggi. Hernandez only lost to Mayweather and a prime Oscar De La Hoya during his career.

This is probably the first time I’ve heard Mayweather Jr. critique Broner. Mayweather Jr. must have been really disappointed in what he saw of him for him to reveal his thoughts about Broner’s victory over Malignaggi.

Mayweather Jr. is right about what he says about Broner fighting flat-footed against Malignaggi and needing to still learn things. Broner was standing directly in front of Malignaggi for the entire fight like his feet were glued to the ground.

It wasn’t Mayweather-like with how he was fighting. If Broner wants to be like Mayweather, he’s going to have to sit down and watch some more of his fights because he didn’t fight anything like Mayweather aside from his use of the shoulder roll.

I don’t know if Broner can apply the things that Mayweather likely wants him to learn, like moving more, not standing in front of his opponents for long periods, throwing combinations. Broner doesn’t look like he’s capable of throwing combinations without needing to stop and catch his breath. He doesn’t seem to have the endurance to do more than throw pot shots. The combination punching that Mayweather does would likely gas Broner out in three or four rounds. And Broner isn’t ever going to be a mover because like Mayweather because he’s light on his feet the way that Mayweather, even at 36.