Adrien Broner returning to 140 as the new CASH cow

By Boxing News - 07/10/2020 - Comments

By Allan Fox:  In a move long overdue, Adrien ‘The Problem’ Broner will be moving back down to 140-pound division. According to Broner’s trainer Kevin Cunningham, Adrien (33-4-1, 24 KOs) is returning to the light welterweight division to be the “new cash cow.

The former four-division world champion Broner has been competing mostly at 147 since 2013, and it’s been a failed experiment. Now at age 31 with seemingly no real alternatives, Broner will be looking to reinvent himself at 140. His chances of success aren’t good, unfortunately, as he’s beaten in that weight class as well.

The divisions that Broner performed well was at 130 and 135. If Adrien could meltdown to super featherweight and lightweight, he might have a chance to resurrect himself, but that’s not happening. With Broner’s diet problems, he wouldn’t be able to make 130 or 135 without starving himself to get there.

Image: Adrien Broner returning to 140 as the new CASH cow

Cunningham: 140 will have a new CASH crow 

Boxing fans are already doubting that Broner will be able to make 140 for any of his fights. The last time Broner fought at 140, he dieted down in weight and was beaten soundly by Mikey Garcia by a one-sided 12 round unanimous decision in July 2017.

Broner looked so painfully thin in that fight, he had the appearance of someone that had taken the weight off the wrong way by dieting rather than through exercise.

It’s understandable why Broner is choosing to move to come back down to 140. He’s exhausted his ability to get big paydays as the B-side player at 147.

It would be one thing if Broner were putting up a good fight in losing to his A-side opponents, but he’s looking so weak and not making a competitive.

The fights are so one-sided that it’s dull for the boxing fans that have been paying to watch Broner lose to guys like Manny Pacquiao, Shawn Porter, and Marcos Maidana.

Where it became apparent that Broner needs to move back down to 140, 135 or 130 is when he fought to a controversial 12 round draw against Jessie Vargas in 2018. Broner arguably should have lost that fight, but he was given a gift draw.

A lot of boxing fans were upset at the results of the match and felt that Vargas was given a raw deal.

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Is it too late for Adrien to fight at 140?

Broner’s last victory at 140 was a 9th round stoppage of Ashley Theophane in 2016 in capturing the vacant World Boxing Association ‘regular’ light welterweight title. That was a fight that was a gimme for Adrien. Theophane was one of Floyd Mayweather Jr’s fighters in his stable, and he had no business fighting for a world title.

The reason the WBA title was vacant is that Broner FAILED to make weight in coming in a half-pound over the limit at 140 1/2 lbs. Broner couldn’t make weight that time, and he was 27 back then, and a lot younger than he is now.

For Broner to be able to make the 140lb limit now, he would need to change his diet completely, and train year-round. He can’t continue to blow up in between fights eating lots of fast food. But if Broner can get in shape, he needs to try and move back down to super featherweight or lightweight because he’s not going to have anyone to fight at 140.

Top Rank fighters dominate the light welterweight division, and Broner likely won’t be able to fight any of them due to the politics in boxing. The only fight that will make Broner money at 140 is Devin Haney, and he’s still not fighting in the weight class yet.

Broner should have made a move back down to 140 a long time ago. He’s been hustling fights the last seven years against guys that were too good for him at 147.

Broner will have no one to fight at 140

Light welterweight champions Josh Taylor and Jose Ramirez are both with Top Rank, and they’re both about to move up to 147 after they face each other in a unification fight.

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The highly popular Teofimo Lopez plans on moving up to 140 in 2020, but he’s with Top Rank too. Broner can forget about him too obviously. The super featherweight division is filled with Top Rank fighters, and Broner probably won’t have luck trying to get a fight against any of them.

135 might be Broner’s best bet if he wants to hustle up fights against popular guys. Ryan Garcia, Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, and Luke Campbell are all possible fights for Broner.

But for Adrien to fight those guys, he’ll need to move down to 135 as soon as possible because some of those guys will eventually move up to 140. If Broner can jump down to 135 in 2020, he might be able to get a fight against Haney, Tank Davis, or King Ryan.

Those would be good money fights for Adrien. The only thing that might prevent Broner from getting those matches is the promoters for those fighters not having any faith that he can make the 135-pound limit.

135 a better division for Adrien

Broner can’t even be counted on to make weight for the 140-pound division, and it would be insane to imagine him draining down another five pounds to fight at 135.

It’s been seven years since Broner fought at 135 when he stopped Gavin Rees by a fifth-round knockout. Broner looked invincible in the 135-lb division, and, surprisingly, he didn’t choose to stay there.

Image: Adrien Broner returning to 140 as the new CASH cow

Not surprisingly, Broner moved up in weight to chase bigger paydays against the 147-pounders, a division that he lacked the power, work rate, or speed to compete with the best.

If money wasn’t the overriding desire for Broner in electing to move up to 147, he could have had a great run in the last seven years at 135 if he’d stayed there. In that division,

Broner’s power carried a lot further, and it didn’t matter that his work rate and hand speed were below average. His energy alone would have ensured that he stayed at or near the top all these years.