(BadLeftHook) Adrien Broner is almost certainly going to be facing Ashley Theophane in his next fight, a manufactured rivalry that has already been pretty openly rejected by fight fans and media, but the more interesting bit of chatter about Adrien Broner comes from Michael Woods, who says he's been informed of "rumblings" to have a Mayweather-Broner fight next year, if Floyd decides that he wants to fight again, which most expect he will.
Broner (31-2, 23 KO) is coming off of a solid win over Khabib Allakhverdiev last weekend in Cincinnati, and Mayweather met with him there this week to "put the finishing touches" on a fight with Theophane (39-6-1, 11 KO), a 35-year-old journeyman fighter who has been part of untelevised Mayweather Promotions undercards for the last few years. Broner called out Theophane on Showtime after the Allakhverdiev fight, saying that Mayweather believes Theophane can beat Broner. It's all very transparent, but it does set up Broner, 26, with what would seem to be an easy first title defense now that he's WBA junior welterweight titleholder.
All of this could easily be worked into some sort of concocted storyline to put Mayweather and Broner at odds later in 2016, and would even give Mayweather a chance to play the babyface for once, since the easiest way to sell it would be Rocky Balboa-Tommy Gunn style, where the young idiot starts thinking he's better than his mentor.
If this fight does come together, it wouldn't surprise me, at least. I said a couple of years ago that I could see that as a future fight, because Mayweather might eventually tire of Broner sort of riding his coattails. And more than that, when you have two guys with egos as big as those on Floyd and AB, you're going to get some friction if they spend enough time in the spotlight related to one another in any way, even if the comparisons between the two have become more of a running joke than anything serious at this point.
For his part, Broner is much better at talking up a fight than Andre Berto, even if he wouldn't actually be any more qualified as an opponent, and a Mayweather "comeback" likely would be a pretty easy sell, especially with the potential for shenanigans and dramatic nonsense.
Of course, it's all a rumor, but I'm buying it as a legit possibility for next year. It just adds up too easily, at least to me. What do you think? Just talk or something you could see happening for real?
Follow Me
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
}
Comments