By Jim Dower: Adrien ‘The Problem’ Broner (33-3, 24 KOs) will be taking a big career risk in facing former WBC lightweight champion Omar Figueroa (27-0-1, 19 KOs) on April 21 on Showtime Boxing, with former super featherweight champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis (19-0, 18 KOs) on the undercard against an opponent still to be determined. The fight card will be staged at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Many fans thought Broner was just trash talking when he mentioned wanting to fight Figueroa, but now it turns out that it’s true. Broner could end up being very sorry took this fight, as Figueroa has even more offensive firepower than Mikey Garcia. Broner was hopelessly over-matched against Mikey last July in losing to him by a 12 round decision on Showtime Boxing.
Figueroa has a good chance of finishing Broner as a top rate fighter by beating him like he did with Robert ‘The Ghost’ Guerrero last July in stopping him in round 3. Guerrero subsequently retired from boxing after that fight. It was Guerrero’s third straight defeat. Broner isn’t quite that bad off yet, but he’s razor close to being that over-the-hill.
Broner has lost 2 out of his last 5 fights since 2015. But one of Broner’s wins during that time against Adrian Granados was a controversial one last year. For all intents and purposes, you can count the Granados fight as a loss for Broner as well, because he appeared to lose that. The main thing is that Broner has been looking terrible since his fight with Pauilie Malignaggi in 2013. Broner has had 10 consecutive fights in which he didn’t look good. The last time Broner really impressed was against Gavin Rees in February 2013. That was many years ago at lightweight. Broner doesn’t belong at 140 or 147.
Broner-Figueroa will be fighting in a WBC light welterweight title eliminator title eliminator. The fact that the weight for the fight will be at 140, it gives the 28-year-old Broner a HUGE advantage, because Figueroa is full-fledged welterweight at 27. It’s been 4 years since Figueroa last fought at 140 in making that weight limit. Figueroa is arguably a junior middleweight at this point in size. He’s been fighting at welterweight, but it’s not easy for him to make the weight.
Broner will at least have the weight advantage over Figueroa. That still doesn’t guarantee that Broner will win the fight or if he’ll make the weight himself, because he’s been having problems making the 140 lb. limit lately. Broner made weight at 140 for his fight against Mikey Garcia on July 29 last summer, but he looked weak and drained in losing a lopsided 12 round decision to the lightweight champion. Broner lost his WBA ligh welterweight title to Ashley Theophane in April 2016 after he came in overweight ½ pound. Broner won the fight by a 9th round knockout, but that was because he was a beatable fringe contender in Theophane.
In the co-feature on the card, Gervonta Davis will be in action. The 23-year-old Davis lost his IBF World super featherweight belt last year after he failed to make weight for his title defense against Francisco Fonseca on August 26 on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor. Davis won the fight by an 8th round knockout, but he still lost his IBF title due to him coming in over the 130 lb. weigh-in limit by 2 pounds at 132. Davis talked about moving up to lightweight, but it looks like he’s decided to stay a super featherweight. That’s a wise move for Davis, because he might not have the boxing skills, power, and size for him to fight at the highest levels of the lightweight division right now. Davis needs more experience before he moves up in weigh.