Broner exposed as a pretender: Karma’s a mother

By Boxing News - 12/17/2013 - Comments

broner6778787By Mr. Pennington: In the words of one the great trolls/blogger I once knew, well, well, well. On December 14th, we witnessed something that many predicted would happen. Adrien “the Problem” Broner was beaten by the now WBA welter weight champion Marcos “El Chino” Maidana.

To put this in perspective, you must accept that we are all in one way or another a troll/fan. That said, in Saturday’s main event there were many intricate scenarios played out before our eyes.

Relevant or not, for some troll/fans the defeat of Broner in some way gives them a sense of satisfaction that not only involves seeing Broner beaten up, but also put emphasis on the fight strategy used by Maidana in regards to Floyd Mayweather Jr.

For years many have said the best way to beat Mayweather is to jump on him from the start. The fight we seen this Saturday played out exactly how many would envision Mayweather losing. A relentless fighter who is landing hard punches that causes Mayweather to become overly defensive.

Even the post-fight for many played out exactly how they envisioned Mayweather behaving. Storming out of the ring, proving as many have said that once faced with losing, he doesn’t possess the fortitude or humility it takes to face the crowd and answer questions.

I find this element of the fight very interesting. Broner did exactly as many expected once faced with pressure, he will fold and become overly defensive. It was great to see that play out.

I won’t go in to great detail in stating the differences in Broner and Mayweather; I will only address one that stands out to me. It’s clear to see that in Mayweather’s career he has never had a problem with weight. Seeing Broner on Mayweather “All Access” leading into the Saul “Canelo” Alvarez fight last September, it would be safe to assume that Broner could have weighed up to 160-165 pounds. One thing I use to gauge fighter for myself is “is boxing this guy’s job, or is it his life”. In my estimation boxing like any other professional sport must be your life to compete at the elite level. It cannot be something that you think you are just good at. For those blessed with extreme levels of athleticism (Mayweather, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan) you would be hard pressed to find other who work harder, and dedicate their complete consciousness to the sport.

As for Broner, he as of late have been so obnoxious, my friends who in their mid-30’s still get their clothes washed by mom found him to be immature. Friends who since the time we turned 18 have done a 50/50 in regards to time being a civilian, and time being an inmate found him to be a bad decision maker. The whole humping scene looked horrible on the behalf of Broner, doing something never seen in the ring further emphasizing his disregard for the sport itself. Only made to be some of the best entertainment seen in years by Maidana returning the favor. Broner has not made boxing his lifestyle and that is clear to see. His body did not have to normal ripped look that he seemed to have in the past. He has a corner that he has out grown, that is clear by him having to calm them down after round two.

But there was another interesting element of the fight found. We found out that after all the rapping and hair brushing, there’s a young fighter with big heart. At times in the fight I wasn’t sure that Broner was up for this kind of grueling fight. We have heard Victor Ortiz after facing Maidana saying he doesn’t deserve to be taking this level of punishment. Broner showed me something more important than his obvious lack of immaturity; he showed me the heart of a champion. While other fighter have wilted under the pressures of Maidana, Broner stayed the course until the end, even hurting Maidana in the 11th.

In the end Karma’s a mother, it doesn’t seem the boxing gods will allow the thrown to be given to those who don’t make boxing their life. Great natural ability can only take you so far, once the boxing gods feel that you are taking the blessing for granted, you will be humbled for all to see. Mike Tyson comes to mind. One who if he had put the sport first, instead of abusing drugs and partying could have regained much longer. Prince Naseem Hamed, Julio Chavez Jr, Chad Dawson, Jean Pascal, are names the immediately come to mind. We have even seen this happen to fighters that are amongst the greats. Manny Pacquiao and Roy Jones Jr. both after exploring endeavors outside the ring, be brought down to earth in humbling fashion. Ali and Frazier in their first fight where Ali believed he could beat the active champion after 3 years out the sport.

Time after time boxing has shown us it won’t be overlooked or disrespected. For Broner, he should take this as a bit of poetic Justice if he could be honest with himself for just a moment. Something he may have deserved, take it and become a better fighter from it. In a rematch I could see that fight viably being pay per view. Broner made for good entertainment while fighting his rear off. In theory it could seem that the boxing gods almost care for Broner, doing him a favor by shoving a giant slice of humble pie down his throat. I do agree when they say “life’s a mitch” but as I said “karma’s a mother.”



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