By Jim Dower: Earlier today, Adrien ‘The Problem’ Broner (33-3, 24 KOs) was charged with a misdemeanor sexual battery and subsequently booked into the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia. Broner was released on a $2K bail on Tuesday.
According to TMZ Sports, Broner was accused of groping a female in an Atlanta shopping mall in Lenox Square. Video shows Broner being taken away by what appears to be security while in the mall.
The 28-year-old former 4 division world champion was booked for matter that allegedly took place on Monday.
Whether this incident will impact Broner’s ability to fight next on April 21st is unclear. Broner is scheduled to face former WBA lightweight champion Omar Figueroa Jr. (27-0-1, 19 KOs) on Showtime Boxing at a still to be determined venue. Broner-Figueroa Jr. fight is the main event on the April 21 card. This is a title eliminator a 140. Broner cannot afford for him to be out of action due to legal problems. His career is on the brink of implosion as it is with recent losses to Shawn Porter and Mikey Garcia. It’s believed by many boxing fans that Broner’s best years are behind him at 28.
While Broner is far from being old in boxing terms, he’s not been able to recapture the promise that he showed years ago in the super featherweight and lightweight divisions. Broner is not the same fighter at 140 and 147 that he was when he was fighting at 130 and 135. Broner is taking the Figueroa fight seriously, but it might not matter.
Broner has not shown that he’s a big enough puncher, not busy enough nor fast enough to dominate at 140. At this point, Broner would likely just be happy to be world champion again in the light welterweight division. Broner lost his WBA 140 lb. title in April 2016 when he failed to make weight for his title defense against fringe contender Ashley Theophane. Broner has fought only twice since then in beating Adrian Granados by a narrow 10 round split decision last year in February and then losing to Mikey Garcia last July by a 12 round unanimous decision.
Broner’s weight at the time of his arrest was listed at 160 pounds, which suggests that he’s been working out to get ready for the Figueroa fight. Broner looked heavy before he started training for his last fight against Mikey Garcia on July 29th last year. Broner lost that fight by a 12 round unanimous decision, and he did not look good at all at any time in the match. Broner’s fight with Figueroa is must-win fight for him. If Broner loses badly to Figueroa, it would be hard for him to come back from that defeat.
