Adrien “The Problem” Broner stepped up his competition once again on Saturday, taking on former welterweight champion Shawn “Showtime” Porter on a primetime Premier Boxing Champions card on NBC. He clearly was never humbled by his 2013 loss to Marcos Maidana, entering the ring in as brash a fashion as NBC will allow.
After winning three straight tune-up fights at 140 pounds, Broner fought Porter at a 144-pound catch weight, and turned in a dud. He spent much of the fight holding and wrestling Porter—even getting a point deducted late in the fight—and only showed his talent once, when he knocked Porter down in the 12th round with a left hook.
For most of the fight Broner was inactive, and when he did throw, he was unable to hurt Porter. He once again proved he does not know how to handle pressure fighters; even though Porter didn’t hurt him, he smothered all of Broner’s work and refused to be kept at a distance.
Broner now has two losses on his resume; that would seem less daunting if he wasn’t an extremely unpopular fighter among fans, with two losses coming against name fighters, and virtually all of his wins against B and C-level competition. It is time for a change in direction for Broner’s career. His star has sufficiently faded from being a featured, headline fighter. He is also unlikely to be coddled with soft match making any longer. Here are three fights fans would love to see.
Lucas Matthysse
Matthysse is expected to take on Viktor Postol for the WBC belt vacated by Danny Garcia, who is moving full-time to welterweight. Matthysse didn’t get his chance to fight Broner earlier this year—that honor went to John Molina Jr., whom Matthysse beat in the 2014 Fight of the Year—and now, Matthysse does not really need Broner.
Matthysse is the most popular fighter in the division, constantly providing knockouts and action fights. His April war vs. Ruslan Provodnikov will be a surefire 2015 Fight of the Year candidate, and Broner’s name is still recognizable. The 12th-round knockdown showed what Broner is capable of when focused, but until then, he must be treated as the B-side of his fights with big names, and earn his way back up the rankings the hard way.
Lamont Peterson
If adviser Al Haymon has not given up on Broner, he may want to put him in the ring with a known commodity who will not muck up the fight on the inside. Peterson relies on skill rather than brute force in the ring, and while his punches sting, he doesn’t have the knockout power of a Maidana or Porter.
Peterson won’t be easy to outbox, but he is unlikely to bring enough pressure to keep Broner from getting his distance and timing together. Peterson is a threat to defeat “The Problem,” but isn’t too much of a threat to knock him out.
Jose Benavidez
This is the type of fight that hardcore fans love. Benavidez is an up-and-coming fighter with tremendous talent, who was gifted a decision when he fought Mauricio Herrera in December 2014. The unbeaten 23-year-old must prove himself, while the 25-year-old Broner is beyond the point of facing cupcakes to “rebuild” once again.
A win over Broner would legitimize Benavidez as a star, while a victory for Broner would help him regain his credibility.
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