The rumor mill has been buzzing overtime with talk of a Manny Pacquiao-Adrien Broner bout this coming October ever since an executive at Golden Boy Promotions apparently let the cat out of the bag that such a thing may be happening.
The immediate reaction among many fans is that Broner doesn?t deserve such a high profile fight and that, really, this wouldn?t be much of a contest, anyway. More like a blood bath, the critics are saying.
But there are many, many upsides to this proposed battle. So many upsides, by the way, that it would be a major mistake for Team Pacquiao NOT to sign this bout.
First and foremost, this bout will do huge numbers on pay-per-view. Given Pacquiao?s star appeal and Broner?s talent for generating headlines and playing the bad guy, there?s no way this one wouldn?t be a blockbuster. Throw in the guarantee of real, fan-friendly violence and the likelihood of a box office hit is even greater.
Another thing to consider is that this is probably the most winnable ?big? fight out there for a semi-retired, comeback-minded Manny. And while Broner is still upright, it should be a nice little scrap. For all the bad publicity and general poor attitude of Broner, he does fight honestly and earnestly when his back is against the wall. Even in his one-sided loss to Marcos Maidana, ?The Problem? was fighting hard right up until the very end. With so much at stake and so many people watching, Broner will put forth a solid effort against Pacquiao.
Not lost in the matchmaking process is also the similarity in styles and temperaments with Pacquiao arch-rival Floyd Mayweather. With Manny unable to get his hands on Mayweather in a rematch, the next best thing would be to beat up Mayweather?s one-time ?Baby Bro.? It?s hard to imagine that not appealing to Manny at this point.
There?s really no legitimate reason to NOT sign this bout. It makes sense in every possible way and, in a lot of ways, it?s a true win-win for everyone involved.
But, after Broner, let?s hope for an end to any further showcase bouts. After bashing Adrien from corner to corner, it?s time to get down to serious business. The Filipino icon needs to meet the challenges of young lions like Terence Crawford and Keith Thurman before finally hanging up the gloves.
