Adrien Broner says he’ll become champion at 140 in 2021

By Boxing News - 01/19/2021 - Comments

By Pete Strauss: Adrien ‘The Problem’ Broner (33-4-1, 24 KOs) says he’ll be fighting three times in 2021, capturing a world title at 140 and fighting on pay-per-view.

The 31-year-old Broner is making a comeback on February 13 after two years of retirement, and he’s predicting that he’s going to have a huge year.

Broner’s management is still looking for a replacement opponent for him to fight on Showtime’s February 13th card after his previously scheduled combatant Pedro Campa pulled out due to one of his team members testing positive for COVID 19.

A replacement is expected to be announced soon for Broner, who needs a victory to let the boxing world know he’s for real. Broner denies he’s an over-the-hill fighter, and he doesn’t understand how anyone could be giving him that label.

Broner feels that he’s still young at 31, and he hasn’t taken much punishment in any of his fights during his career. The fans argue that Broner’s lack of victories in the last four years is a clear indication that he’s shot.

Going without a victory for a year is one thing, but for four years? It’s hard to argue in favor of Broner not being past his best given his poor results since 2016, which was his last clear victory.

Broner returning to 140-lb weight class

“I’m only 31, how can I be past my prime?” said Broner to Last Stand Podcast with Brian Custer. “I’ve done so much in the sport at an early age, it may seem like I’ve been in the game forever.

“I’m very young, I haven’t took much punishment. I got too much more fight in me.

Image: Adrien Broner says he'll become champion at 140 in 2021

“I can go out and fight anybody. Who wouldn’t want to fight Adrien Broner? Nobody is going to turn that down. This is there big chance to fight a soon to be legend. In my career, I’ve done things that nobody else has done in the sport of boxing.

“Right now, my weight is low. I can make 140 next week, I can make 135 next week,” said Broner when asked what weight he’ll be fighting at in February. “I think I’ll fight at 140,” said Broner.

“I’m going to try and fight three times this year at 140, all of them at 140,” said Broner. At 140, sad Broner when asked what weight class he’ll be world champion again. ”

Age has nothing to do with a fighter being past their prime sometimes. We’ve seen many young fighters that have lost it early in their careers after fighting a war, and not coming out of it the same person.

In Broner’s case, he might not have been that great, to begin with. If you go back eight years in Broner’s career when he moved up to 147 and beat WBA welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi by a controversial 12 round decision, the warning signs were already there that Arien wasn’t an exceptional talent.

Broner fought Malignaggi while he was still at his best, and his win over him was highly controversial. In Broner’s next fight, he was soundly beaten by Marcos Maidana by a 12 round unanimous decision in December 2013.

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Maidana dropped Broner twice in that contest and made him look bad. Broner lacked the size and the power to deal with Maidana, and that match was the beginning of the end for Broner.

Broner was beaten by Shawn Porter, Mikey Garcia, Manny Pacquiao and held to a 12 round draw by Jessie Vargas.

Broner NOT interested in fighting Regis Prograis

“At this point, I get nothing out of fighting Regis Prograis,” said Broner in making it clear that he wants no part of Regis. “We can make a big fight. I’m going to f*** him up.

Image: Adrien Broner says he'll become champion at 140 in 2021

“I think I’ll be a lot more mean,” said Broner when asked what will be different about him in his February 13th fight than from his previous one.

“We’ll see on that night, but the things we’ve been working on in the gym and the way I’ve been looking, it’s going to be a hell of a show,” Broner said when asked if he’ll throw more punches in his next fight.

It’s a good idea that Broner not fight former WBA light welterweight champion Regis Prograis because most boxing fans would agree that he would lose to him.

Prograis (25-1, 21 KOs) is arguably a better fighter than Broner, and it would likely end badly for him if he took that fight.

If Broner wanted to prove himself to the fans, he’d face Prograis and show that he’s turned his career around, but he’s not going to do that. Prograis is the type of fighter that would have given Broner problems at any stage in his career.

It has nothing to do with Broner no longer bring in the prime of his career. Prograis is a better all-around fighter than Broner has ever been.

Showtime is investing money in Broner in staging his fights on their network, but hopefully, they’re not sorry for it. Pouring money into a fighter that has looked largely mediocre since 2013 isn’t smart.

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Broner’s game isn’t suited for him to be fighting at 140 against the upper-level competition. The likely only way Broner will win a world title at light-welterweight is after the winner of the Jose Ramirez vs. Josh Taylor fight vacates the four belts and moves up to 147.

That’s what both of those fighters are planning on doing shortly after their fight this May. Once those four belts become vacant, Broner will have a chance of winning one of them, as long as he faces the right guy.

Obviously, Broner won’t fight Prograis for one of the vacant belts, as Adrien made it clear that he wants no part of fighting him.

Adrien expects to be back on PPV this year

“I think you’ll definitely see me in a PPV fight this yea, and I’m going to look good,” said Boner.

Image: Adrien Broner says he'll become champion at 140 in 2021

“The way I’m feeling and the way I’m looking right now, sparring probably my next fight,” Broner said when asked if he’ll be a world champion again.

That would be a surprise if Broner is headlining on pay-per-view on Showtime this year, but you can understand it as well. Showtime has the Charlo brothers fighting on pay-per-view now, and they’re not fighting back names.

If Broner is going to headline on PPV in 2021, he’s going to need to fight a notable name for it to bring in big ratings. It can’t be an obscure contender that the casual and hardcore boxing fans have never heard of.