Last night after defeating Ashley Theophane in Washington, DC, Adrien Broner called out his former BFF Floyd Mayweather.
?Somebody that I look up to and admire took the chance to do an interview and talk bad about me,? Broner said. ?I don?t know how y?all look at it. I don?t like it. I?m a man that learned s*** from physical activity.” “Floyd, you got to see me.? “I will never let another man disrespect me. I don’t care if we sparring or fighting. Let’s get it on,” Broner said.
Floyd of course, now retired, hinted earlier in the week that Adrien was immature, suggesting the 26 year old’s decisions were embarrassing and self-defeating.
“Adrien Broner, his nickname is ‘The Problem’ [and] I think he has a lot of problems, Floyd recently told FightHype. com.” “Adrien Broner was just an alcoholic six months ago. One thing I’m trying to find out about Adrien Broner, is he a boxing promoter, is he a rapper, is he a porn star, or is he a gangster?”
It’s unlikely Mayweather will accept Adrien’s challenge but if he did, would Mayweather vs Broner be the biggest fight Floyd could make today, sans a rematch with Manny Pacquiao?
Of course, the fight die-hards would cry ‘foul,’ and chide Mayweather for not facing Gennady Golovkin, a unified middleweight champion who is the most destructive fighter in boxing.
Casual fans > die-hards
Mayweather vs Broner, from a pure interest level and revenue perspective, trumps Mayweather vs Golovkin even though the latter is the more intriguing match-up.
Gennady Golovkin, perhaps the best fighter in the world, is still not yet mainstream enough to generate the level of interest and subsequent revenue Floyd would demand to return. Moreover, Gennady doesn’t have anything Floyd wants and there’s no real rivalry between the fighters. Hence, buzz would be limited those entrenched in boxing.
Enter Adrien ‘AB’ (About Billions) Broner.
Sure, he has two losses, would be a big underdog against Floyd and is nowhere near as deserving as Golovkin for the opportunity to face Mayweather on boxing’s biggest stage. However, Broner’s bombastic personality and very public rift with ‘Money May’ would make Mayweather vs Broner very compelling to the masses.
In fact, it would sizzle, especially if Broner defeated a top 10 welterweight in order to provide extra momentum. Simply put, there would be a very interesting storyline to Mayweather vs Broner and the build-up and pressers would be nothing less than sensational.
The day-to-day stories in TMZ, alone, would probably generate several hundred thousand buys from casual and non-fans of the sport.
Mayweather vs De La Hoya (2007) Who remembers when Floyd fought Oscar De La Hoya? That bout exceeded revenue expectations as a result of the massive build-up for the fight, including the famous rift between Floyd and his father who had served as De La Hoya’s trainer since 2001.
Although Mayweather Sr. reunited with his son at the start of Floyd Jr.’s training camp, he had no official role, as Floyd Jr. opted to retain his uncle, Roger Mayweather, as his trainer instead. Mayweather Sr. left the camp by the end of April, upset over not being chosen as trainer and by comments made by his son and brother during the taping of the 24/7 show.
But the drama behind, and backdrop for, Mayweather vs Broner would make the chaos between Floyd and his dad look like a typical father and son spat.
If Floyd returns, put Broner’s name at the top of the list of potential opponents. Minus a Pacquiao rematch, Floyd would earn the most money for facing ‘Little Bro’ without taking the level of risk he would in facing Golovkin.
