Following an impressive dismantling of tough titleholder Antonio DeMarco, it’s been of the usual told-you-so manner exuded from Adrien Broner, who many have touted as the next pound for pound king. Quite often, when fighters talk about themselves in the third person, you are left wondering if they are interviewing Sybil and her split personalities.
But in mentioning his own name in the post-fight interviews, it appears that Adrien Broner simply shares the same inclinations as anyone else in the boxing world at the moment, which is to talk about Adrien Broner!
For those who see him as the heir-apparent to the pound for pound no. 1 status, it’s also in essence acknowledging the reality that the current kings of the ring plateaued a while back and are starting to wane in their dominance. Pacquiao and Mayweather are reaching a twilight point in their careers, and this paves the way for a new contender – or pretender – to the proverbial throne.
So, could that be Adrien Broner, based on his lightweight title win against DeMarco? Stylistically, there are flashes of Mayweather in Broner, but what else do we see? Let’s take a look at the factors which could help him rise swiftly up the rankings.
- Power: Broner has an impressive knock out ratio of 84% (21 Kos from 25 fights) which has since wiped away from memory his more labored efforts against Daniel Ponce DeLeon and Fernando Quintero.
- Defense: The similarities to Mayweather chiefly refer to the defensive stance and shoulder roll, which make him hard to hit. Broner combined this with pick-‘em-apart inside work, much like in Mayweather’s fights against the likes of Arturo Gatti and Ricky Hatton, and put it to great use in the DeMarco fight. DeMarco did not have an answer to this systematic attack and pinpoint, swift counters.
- Walk the walk: So far, Broner has not ducked anyone, and despite being a blown-up junior lightweight in his last outing, he stepped up to face arguably the best lightweight out there and did exactly what he said he would do. And all gimmicks aside, we can forgive him the pink hoodie b-boy image and hair-combing demands when he goes in there and does the business against top quality opposition.
Finally, in considering Adrien Broner for top pound for pound bragging rights, I have to look at who else on the scene challenges that mantle. For me, I actually believe that Andre Ward is already the best boxer on the planet right now.
Despite Pacquiao and Mayweather still being active, I believe there is a strong argument to install Ward at no. 1 given his success in the Super Six tournament and subsequent stoppage win over Chad Dawson. He has beaten the best in two divisions, and not only that, he didn’t have a scratch on him!
Still, with so many victories under his belt, Ward may have already peaked in how we perceive him. It’s like he could potentially become a victim of his own success, particularly since he doesn’t have a very flashy style, or loads of KO power.
This could clear the path for young Broner to make his mark on the very competitive 140-147 pound scene in future, eventually taking the top spot. Of course, there are no certainties of fights happening, but I am sure Broner will be watching for future opponents everywhere — including in the Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez 4 fight.
