Leading into Saturday night, Adrien "The Problem" Broner, a 24-year-old three-division champion was on his way to stardom and the pound-for-pound crown by his own estimation.
He referred to Saturday night's opponent, Marcos "El Chino" Maidana, as a stepping stone, even boasting he'd "light Maidana up like a Christmas tree." Maidana quietly went about his training camp, exuding a silent confidence that he'd be able to rock the brash champ.
Come fight night Maidana overwhelmed Broner with activity and power, sending the youngster to the canvas twice en route to a convincing thrashing. Maidana took Broner's belt, and may have hurt his ego more than any of his body parts.
Broner skipped out on a post-fight interview, but had some comments following the loss. "I'm OK. I'm still the three-time world champion in three different weight classes," Broner said. "Tonight, Maidana was just the better man, but we fought a hell of a fight. I hope the fans got what they deserved. ... I'm still going to live like we won the fight. I'm still going to party."
The victory was the biggest of Maidana's career, and certainly the most satisfying. Afterward he showed little hesitation in terms of offering Broner a rematch. "The Problem" seems eager to have one. "I'll tell you one thing, make a rematch," Broner said. "I don't need a warm-up fight. I want a rematch."
Maidana was noticeably larger than Broner, and it seemed as if his shots were more thudding than Broner's. While Broner was accurate when he unleashed his combinations, he seemed to have little effect on El Chino. According to Maidana though, he did feel Broner's strength.
"Broner is a very good puncher," Maidana said. "He's a very good boxer, very good puncher. Yes, I felt his blows."
Broner and his camp did not make excuses after losing, with his trainer Mike Stafford offering this up as an explanation: "I don't think he was on today. I thought it was a little closer than (the judges) had it, but I just don't think he was on tonight."
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