In the days leading into last night’s Adrien Broner-Ashley Theophane fight – a match-up that had not set fight fans on fire – the main topic of discussion was not the fight itself, but the shenanigans Broner had, and was getting up to outside of the ring. Broner’s legal troubles generated plenty of ink, as did his failure to make weight for the Theophane fight, but “The Problem’s” seemingly very real problem in getting along with his one-time hero and “big brother,” Floyd Mayweather Junior really set tongues wagging and got keyboards pounded.
Broner, who went as far as to refer to Mayweather’s Money Team promotional outfit as “Hateweather Promotions,” then vowed to KO Floyd’s fighter, Theophane – which he indeed proceeded to do last night in the 9th-round (a TKO). But then, the talking point immediately became what Broner said after the win: his calling out of Mayweather.
Broner looked dead serious as he said he and Floyd must meet – or as he put it, “He got to come see me. I don’t care if we spar or if we fight.” – while Mayweather looked to be genuinely amused, laughing as the cameras caught his reaction to Broner’s challenge. “I don’t play kid games with Adrien Broner,” was Floyd’s sole verbal response, as he spoke to Spike TV’s Scott Hanson after being called out.
But despite Mayweather seemingly having no interest in coming out of his now seven month retirement to silence Broner, is there a chance, even a small one, that the fight will actually happen? It would be a big deal if the two did get it on (and it would have to be at welterweight no doubt, as Broner cannot make 140 and Floyd wouldn’t want to box below 147) and if the pre-fight build-up was done right (just imagine the All Access shows for this fight!) the fight could achieve a million or so pay-per-view buys.
Some people have even suggested the war of words Mayweather and Broner have engaged in has been a calculated act designed to already get the ball rolling with regards to hyping up a fight between the two. Mayweather would no doubt call a date with Broner “easy work,” and it almost certainly would be if the fight happened. But Mayweather might not be able to resist engaging in a fight and a promotion that would, for once, allow him to be the good guy.
And of course, Mayweather would pick up win nimber-50 with a stoppage over Broner, wouldn’t he?
http://youtu.be/ZeOieTXV938