By Lewis Mageo: When it comes to the boxing landscape there are few who are perched higher then Floyd Mayweather Jr. His exploits this century have turned him into the highest paid athlete in the world with no equal in boxing as it pertains to record, publicity, and animosity from the public. However, Mayweather is at an age where many of the greats start to decline and one man who is waiting to pick up the slack goes by the name of Adrien Broner.
Before Broner missed weight this past weekend and had to renegotiatie terms with Vincent Escobedo to keep their HBO Boxing after dark main event alive, the man from Cincinatti had built a nice undefeated record with a mixture of speed, accuracy, and power rarely seen in one package. THis kind of talent is good enough to shine on it’s own, but Broner also has shown an ability to articulate his feelings as well as the writers who ask him the questions and report his exploits. Straddling that fine line between Outrageous athlete and brash upstart, Broner went all in this past weekend to take full advantage of the villain role and accelerate his exposure to the general public.
Many who have followed Broner during his short career know that his style mimics that of Money Mayweather, shoulder roll and all, but even more obvious is the respect Broner has for everything mayweather has accomplished and has firmly stated many times that it is Floyd who is the man and when he says goodbye, then it will be Broner’s turn. Now this turn as villain is another indication that Broner has not only learned fromm the career of floyd Mayweather but is intent, at this time, to mimic more then Mayweather’s style and confidence, but also his move from Floyd Joy to Money May.
Broner stopped Escobedo in the 5th round doing exactly what he has always done, but he took a beating in the boxing media and twitterverse from angry boxing fans calling him anywhere from unprofessional to a downright cheat. Now Broner has not cultivated his vilain role so to speak, he is just a man that can beat you with his words and hands. That in and of itself can cause mass insecurity, so when Broner did not make weight, those same people waiting for the slip, got it, and Broner responded back by acting with impunity.
To many this seemed like an immature move by a boxer protected by the Al Haymon machine, but a closer look can also see a situation that can be interpreted as calculated. Broner was not making much headway with the boxing public in general and now that same public has someone to yell at while their other favorite recipient sits waiting to be released from a Nevada jail. That venom of the boxing public is about as profitable as as it gets when directed at a man that can take all comers and maintain his confidence both in the ring and with the media. I think we have a great candidate in Broner to be that man, because we can’t have heroes without the villains, and Broner has shown a propensity to be both to different people. That’s lightning in a bottle right there. And no matter what the detractors throw at the problem, as long as Broner wins, he’ll just brush it off.