Adrien Broner (27-0, 22 KOs) has emerged as arguably the most divisive star in boxing outside of one Floyd Mayweather. He?s been hailed as both a future mainstream star and a socialite masquerading as a prize fighter. It?s hard to imagine a fighter that inspired such acrimony so early in his career, but one thing is obvious, Broner?s gimmick is working at attracting eyes to his pugilistic exploits. On Saturday, he?ll get the chance to vindicate his hype or prove the doubters correct. That?s when he?ll step into the ring at San Antonio?s vaunted Alamodome and defend his WBA welterweight title against the bruising Argentine, Marcos Maidana (34-3, 31 KOs).
Once the fight was made, it earned the immediate interest of a large portion of the boxing population. Broner was a feared competitor at lightweight, but he clearly struggled in his first outing at welterweight against the featherfisted Paulie Malignaggi. It was a fight that he was expected to dominate, but rather mearly treaded water. Furthermore, there was clear critisisms labeled at Broner for the fact that he did not simply naturally grow into the welterweight frame, but rather binged himself onto the weight. His diet had been previously critisized in the past and he did appear sluggish against Malignaggi.
Maidana, meanwhile, has never been provided the road that was offered to Broner; that of easy fights early on in his career, guaranteed network slots and a cache of promotional pieces highlighting his every move. No, Maidana is the type of contender that the old souls of boxing can approve. His feared power has felled the likes of Victor Ortiz and Jesus Soto Karass and taken victories from an aged Erik Morales. However, it should be noted that Maidana has fallen short in a number of higher-profile fights and Broner?s backers were likely cognizant of this fact when choosing their next step for their young charge. Maidana is certainly a significant step-up, but is capable of rising to the occasion and establishing himself as more than a contender?
The largest question that must be answered as the bell rings is whether Maidana can land his punches clean on Broner and whether they will affect the 24 year old star? Maidana?s offensive efforts, at times, appear rudimentary, but when they hit, they are clearly felt by opponents. Broner has yet to taste what a real welterweight punch feels like and many observers will look to see what his response will be. To his credit, Broner?s proven himself to be a very adept counter puncher, whose ring movement is advanced for such a young fighter. Broner, beyond his brashness, is certainly a world class talent that will be a problem for many welterweights. The question is whether he can truly be the elite pugilist that corresponds with all the plaudits. If he can pass the Maidana test, there will be few reasons to continue launching criticisms his way. If Maidana connects and puts him out? Well then, there will be a number of happy critics in San Antonio and around the world. Beyond the main event, the undercard offers a myriad of intriguing championship fights including a clash in the welterweight division that could be determine the challenger for the victor of the main event. That bout pits interim WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman (21-0, 19 KOs) against former journeyman turned contender Jesus Soto Karass (28-8-3, 18 KOs). Karass is coming off a shocking upset of former titlist Andre Berto, while Thurman has established himself as a premiere welterweight prospect to watch. Obviously, the bigger fight would be a potential Thurman-Broner fight due to the two men?s prominent gift for gab and the fact that they both are young men who attract a sizable following. However, Karass, if anything, has shown an ability to upset the proverbial apple cart and, if he can take Thurman?s punches, has the ability to the make the fight a high-volume affair in which he can wear Thurman down with ample body shots.
The undercard also features an appearance by rising super bantamweight titlist Leo Santa Cruz (25-0-1, 15 KOs), as he takes on Puerto Rico?s Cesar Seda (25-1, 17 KOs). Few expect Santa Cruz to be significantly tested by Seda and it is likely that Golden Boy Promotions is seeking to build his name further for a potential bout with either Abner Mares or Jhonny Gonzalez. However, it must be said that there hasn?t been a bad Santa Cruz fight and this one isn?t expected to break that trend.
