By Dan Ambrose: Adrien “The Problem” Broner (32-2, 24 KOs) successfully weighed in at 146 ½ pounds on Friday for his fight in the welterweight division on Saturday night against Adrian Granados (18-4-2, 12 KOs) at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. Broner’s opponent Granados initially weighed in a pound over the limit at 148lbs, and was given an hour to take the weight off. However, after Lamont Peterson also weighed in heavy on the same scale, they questioned the accuracy of the scale.
They then had another scale brought in, and Granados weighed in at 146 ½ pounds on that scale. Granados did little to take the weight off in the 15 minutes after he weighed in over the limit. The difference was the second scale. What this likely means is Broner’s weight for the fight was probably closer to 145.5lbs than the 146 ½ pounds that he weighed in on the first scale. It’s good news that Broner was able to make the 147lb limit, but it wasn’t good that he had to have the weight increased five pounds from the original contract weight for the fight of 142lbs.
(Photo credit: Stephanie Trapp/SHOWTIME)
Broner looked pretty thin on the scales. He looked like a drained fighter. Granados looked
“As a promoter, I can’t as a promoter talk like I normally do, but I’m going to beat his mother-[expletive] a–,” said Broner about Granados after weighing in.
Granados said this in response: “It’s just another fight. As far as getting my [expletive beat, I don’t get beatings. I hand them out.”
This a fight that Broner cannot afford to lose or not impress in, because he’s not looked good for a long time. Broner’s boxing career has been sinking since his loss to Marcos Maidana in 2013. Broner has had close calls since then against Emmanuel Taylor and a defeat to Shawn Porter. Broner has been backed off from facing talented opposition lately with him being put in with 35-year-old Ashley Theophane and Kabib Allakhverdiev in his last two fights. Those are not big players at 140. It looks like Broner’s management is more focused on getting him wins against guys he matches up well against. Granados is more of the same, but a step up for Broner from Theophane and Allakhverdiev. It’s not a big step up, but it is a step up nonetheless.
“I plan on winning in a stoppage or a unanimous decision,” said Granados. No matter what, I’m leaving with a victory.”
If Granados does defeat Broner, then it might be a good time for “The Problem” to consider becoming a full-time promoter and ending his boxing career, because he won’t be a PPV star like he was hoping. Broner has got to be able to beat fighters in Granados’ class if he wants to be a major player at 140. The light welterweight division is a weak one compared to the 147lb division. The top fighter at 140, Terence Crawford, would likely not have the ability to beat the top guys at in my opinion.
If Broner cannot cut it at 140, then he certainly won’t be able to do anything in the 147lb division. If Broner is happy being a contender or maybe winning a paper title against one of the weaker champions at 140 o 147, then he’ll be fine.
“A businessman that can fight,” said Broner. “That’s what I am nowadays. I’m not a [expletive] talker anymore. I’m a businessman that knows how to fight.
In other weigh-in results, former IBF light welterweight champion Lamont Peterson (34-3-1, 17 KOs) weighed in at 146 ½ pounds for his title shot against WBA World welterweight champion David Avanesyan (22-1-1, 11 KOs). The 28-year-old Avanesyan weighed in at 147 pounds. Peterson weighed in initially at 148lbs, but after challenging the scale as being inaccurate, a second scale was brought in and he successfully weighed in 1 ½ pounds lighter at 146.5lbs.
The Peterson-Avanesyan fight is an interesting one because neither of these guys should be in a title shot in this writer’s opinion. Avanesyan has never beaten a really good fighter before other than 44-year-old Shawn Mosley, who he had to struggle to beat last year in May. Avanesyan did not look at all good in that fight. Before that match, Avanesyan’s best wins came against Kaizer Mabuza, Dean Byrne and Charlie Navarro. Those are not top ranked contenders. Avanesyan won the interim WBA 147lb title beating Navarro (25-9, 20 KOs), who has lost a lot of fights during his career. Avanesyan should have had to beat a top talent for him to win the interim WBA title instead of a fighter with a resume that looks more like a journeyman level resume than a top 15 contender.
Peterson was beaten just two fights ago by Danny Garcia by a 12 round majority decision in 2015. Peterson hasn’t fought since 2015 in beating Felix Diaz by a controversial 12 round majority decision. Peterson was out of the ring for the entire year in 2016, and he hasn’t fought in 16 months. That’s a long time for someone getting a title shot.
Peterson was also beating by Lucas Matthysse in 2013. Peterson’s record in his last five fights is 3-2. That’s not an ideal record that you like to see for fighters challenging for world titles. You can argue that the World Boxing Association should be letting Shawn Porter challenge for the WBA title against Avanesyan rather than Peterson. At least with Porter, you’ve got a fighter that has been active with his record lately, and looking good. Peterson has arguably lost his last two fights against Danny Garcia and Felix Diaz.
Unbeaten light heavyweight contender Marcus Browne (18-0, 13 KOs) weighed in at 174 ½ pounds for his 10 round fight against former world title challenger Thomas Williams Jr. (20-2, 14 KOs). Williams Jr. weighed in at 174.5lbs as well. Browne, 26, is coming off of a very controversial eight round split decision wins over Radivoje Kalajdzic last April. Browne was knocked down in round 6 and appeared to lose the fight, but still got a split decision win. Instead of Browne fighting Williams Jr, he should be facing Kalajdzic again in a rematch, because the ending of their fight was too controversial for a lot of boxing fans.
