Adrien Broner feels that he?s a sure-thing Hall of Famer. I say he?s as goofy as a tennis helmet and as logical as a screen door on a submarine.
Following a recent press conference, ?The Problem? went off on a radio host who dared to insinuate that Broner?s upcoming do-or-die shot at crossover stardom versus Manny Pacquiao was actually a do-or-die fight.
?This ain?t no do-or-die for me?Sh*t, coming from where I come from, I?m already in the Hall of Fame,? Broner said. ?Sh*t, I don?t know nobody that did what I did?You might not think I?ve got a Hall-of-Fame career, but I do.?
So, wait, let?s backtrack a bit because there may be some fools out there somewhere who actually believe that Broner speaks the gospel and that he truly deserves to be memorialized in the same Hall of Fame building that honors names such as Ali, Armstrong, and Robinson.
?But, but?he?s a four-division world champ,? they?ll cry. ?Only a handful of fighters in the history of the sport have managed to accomplish that.?
And I?d counter with: Vicente Martin Rodriguez, Antonio DeMarco, Paulie Malignaggi, Khabib Allakhverdiev?the four men he beat to capture his world titles.
And then I?d add another name: Daniel Ponce de Leon?the man who beat Broner fairly decisively back in 2011, but ended up with a unanimous decision loss. The Mexican battler should?ve given Broner the first ?L? on his record, the first of four total losses (so far).
All in all, Broner?s bloating body has more to do with winning those 4 divisional titles than his talent being put to the task. You also have to acknowledge that, in great part, those title opportunities coming his way had to do with some pretty damn convenient matchmaking built around his ability to draw attention with outrageous behavior.
There?s no argument that can be made for a Hall of Fame legacy when, after 11 years as a pro, your biggest wins have come against a faded Paulie Malignaggi and a fairly pedestrian Antonio DeMarco?five and six years ago, respectively. It?s also pretty damn telling when every effort to move up to next-level game?against Marcos Maidana, Shawn Porter, and Mikey Garcia?has failed spectacularly. Most recently, Broner drew with Jessie Vargas, a fighter that upcoming foe Manny Pacquiao shut out just seventeen months earlier.
The Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), which votes on fighter entry into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, has made some dubious decisions when it comes to HOF inclusion, but even that mess of boobs and twits couldn?t screw up so bad that Broner gets in.
But, hey, this is not a forever death sentence when it comes to Hall of Famer status for the Cincinnati native.
Broner is still only 29 and there?s plenty more career ahead of him if he stays focused on fighting and on perfecting his craft more than creating crude viral videos. A solid win over Manny Pacquiao on January 19 will go a long way in establishing an elite-level legacy. After beating Pacquiao, he could very well get a crack at former ?Big Bro? Floyd Mayweather and it doesn?t need to be said just how much a win over Mayweather?even a faded 40-something Mayweather?would mean to Broner?s career. And even if a Mayweather fight doesn?t materialize, beating Pacquiao gives him an inside track to any number of big, career-defining bouts.
Who knows, maybe Broner does eventually become a true Hall of Fame fighter.
But he?s not one now. Not even close. Anyone saying anything else?including Broner, himself?is downright delusional.
