Adrien "The Problem" Broner is well known by now for insulting his opponents and burrowing deep under their skin. He's already aggravated his next opponent, Marcos Maidana, to the point that they may need to be permanently separated until their December bout on pay-per-view.
A few days ago at a fight in Las Vegas, sources say Maidana went after Broner in response to some homophobic accusation hurled the Argentine's way by "The Problem." Maidana apparently was screaming at Broner and shoved him, requiring outside intervention.
When asked what Maidana was saying, Broner told reporters he didn't know. "That m----------r don't speak English. I don't know what he said. It is what it is, this is boxing. This s-t is real," said Broner.
Maidana shed a bit more light on the fracas.
"I wasn't planning to be violent or anything. I went to approach Richard Schaefer to say hello and he said something and he disrespected me, and we started pushing each other. That was all. I don't want to make a big deal or a scandal," Maidana said. "We met Broner before when I fought Devon Alexander in St. Louis. We said hello that time and that's it. But now that we're fighting, all I can say is f--k Broner."
There is clearly no love lost between these two fighters, and the notoriously powerful Maidana is likely to be gunning for a knockout against the brash Broner. While supremely talented, Broner has much to prove as well.
He will need to improve on his performance against Paulie Malignaggi and show that his prodigious power at the lower weight classes can translate to welterweight. He also might show the boxing world whether his chin is made of glass or granite, if Maidana can connect against the 24-year-old champ.
If Broner succeeds and shines, the drumbeat for a Broner vs. Mayweather matchup will begin. He has said on multiple occasions he's not interested in fighting Mayweather, however.
"My big brother got his legacy, I got mine. I want to see him retire undefeated. I don't want to hand him a loss," Broner said.
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