By Brian H: With those of you that have read my previous articles, you know that I keep it as real as possible. With that being said, let me clarify a few things before I begin. I am a fan of Adrien Broner (27-0, 22 KO’s), and I do believe that he’s the future of boxing, or at least, a part of it.
Broner is truly great at what he does, how he does it, and he’s absolutely proven his position in the game for a 23 year old boxer. I cannot take anything away from him and all that he’s accomplished. One thing I can do though, is paint a picture of realism. Let’s get to it.
Throughout history, most of the truly “elites” at anything were obsessively pushed by their strict fathers / mothers or mentors at a very young age. This includes gymnasts, entertainers, models, boxers, basketball players, etc. One that immediately comes into mind for me is the late, great Michael Jackson. If you are at all familiar with the story of the Jacksons, you will know how hard young Michael was pushed by Joe Jackson to be perfect. He didn’t have a normal childhood, to say the least, and life was hard. I’m sure, from a psychological point of view, Michael felt like the best way to relate to his father was to be the best. Now, take a second and think about who has been the biggest global icon for pop music…hell, music period for the last half century. If you didn’t just say, think, breath, utter, imagine, sign language, type, or smoke signal the words “Michael Jackson”, then “you don’t know shit about music” (**Roger Mayweather voice**).
This brings me to my next point. The biggest and most controversial (possibly even blasphemous) analogy that you’ll read all week – but I’m still going to say it. Floyd Mayweather, due to his hard upbringing, strict boxing regimen from a young age, and family full of boxers that strive for perfection, is the “Michael Jackson” of Boxing. Now, of course this means minus any apparent weirdness, cosmetic surgery, prescription drugs, zoo animals, etc – but really think about this statement. Floyd Makes at least $32 – 40 million for 36 minutes of what he considers “Robbing a Bank without a Mask”. He has been the highest paid and most well known athlete in the world for the last few years, and he doesn’t even have endorsement deals. From a non-financial perspective, he’s always changed the game. What he did to Diego Corrales was equivalent to the “Thriller” video or the showcasing of the “Moonwalk”. I could go on and on arguing this analogy, but let me get back to the bigger point.
Adrien Broner didn’t have the same kind of training and upbringing that Floyd was able to have. Floyd came from a family of hustlers and fighters that had been boxing their entire lives. The very man that brought him into this world, that he undoubtedly idolized as a child, fought Sugar Ray Leonard! Floyd’s entire style of boxing, mental conditioning, and ring preparation began the moment the doctor said “It’s a Boy!”. Now, I’m not as familiar with Adrien’s upbringing, but I’m going to go out on a limb and bet that his father was never a boxer. Like most boxers, I’m willing to bet that Adrien was introduced to the sport around the age of 9 or 10 as an extracurricular activity. If this is true, then that would mean Floyd had a 9 or 10 year headstart at witnessing and studying the sweet science as a way of life. And speaking about ways of life, this plays a critical role in why Adrien Broner will never be as great as Floyd Mayweather Jr. While Broner was out running the streets, hustling, writing raps, training, etc – Floyd Mayweather was training. While Adrien was out shopping and hollarin’ at breezies, Floyd was training. While Adrien was sleeping and dreaming about fame, Floyd was training. While Adrien was learning the newest dance moves and trends, Floyd was training.. I think you get the gist. Many people don’t understand that Floyd is a “nerd” of boxing. I really don’t believe his free life began until he was 20 or 21. Any time before that, I would say he was training & conditioning nonstop, on some Michael Jackson perfection type.
To put the icing on the cake, you have to look at how they live their lives outside the ring. This is the biggest factor in All of my reasoning. Floyd Mayweather Jr. doesn’t smoke, he doesn’t drink, he trains all year round, eats healthy, and stays sharp. I’ve never seen a video where he looked tired, drunk, or out of control in any way, have you? In comparison, I’ve seen 5 videos like that for Adrien Broner in the last 3 months alone, and I haven’t even been actively looking for them. Now, I’m not trying to be judgmental at all – just stating the facts. And the fact is this. Adrien Broner doesn’t have the genetics, upbringing, social controls or overall lifestyle discipline that Floyd Mayweather has. Adrien Broner is a great fighter that works extremely hard at being a boxer, while Floyd Mayweather is an elite boxer that works extremely hard at being a Legend. In closing, these are two different men, with two different identities. The only things they have in common are that they are both undefeated Black American boxers, who use their physical skills mixed with the gift of gab to gain the notoriety that packs seats.
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