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Big Problems Await Adrien Broner
![](https://cdn.ib.tv/thesweetscience/images/adrien-broner-vs-shawn-porter-624.jpg)
Former three division title holder Adrien “The Problem” Broner 30-2 (22) now has a problem. And it was on full display this past Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The problem for Broner is he was beaten up for 12 rounds by former IBF title holder Shawn Porter 26-1 (16) in a high profile welterweight bout that was contested with a 144 catch-weight stipulation.
The thinking before the fight was Porter would be the one most compromised by having to come in at 144.
It was just a couple years ago that some observers were looking at Broner as being the next Floyd Mayweather stylistically along with his over the top garish “look at me” personality. Two losses later it’s painfully obvious that he’s not that fighter nor does he possess Mayweather’s maturity as a fighter. And since he isn’t as good as Mayweather, he’s even more annoying and harder to take as a person. At only 25, Broner’s career is in bad shape after getting worked over by Porter.
The worst part for Broner is, he’s a very physically gifted and skilled boxer. He has quick hands and feet, good reflexes and he has more than adequate power when he lines everything up. However, he lacks one thing that elite fighters all have – and that is he’s not hard inside or outside. He was cruising along good until a rough ‘n tough guy named Marcos Maidana 35-5 (31) got in face and showed up with the intention of fighting him and not allowing him to box. Broner was overwhelmed by Maidana’s aggression and was down twice in the fight. Yes, he got up and tried to come back, but he was too far off his game by then and was fighting Maidana’s fight and suffered his first defeat. He was given a pass by most after the fight because Maidana’s crude aggression has thrown off many others, that along with the plausibility in which Broner probably overrated himself and played Maidana cheap before the bout.
This time Broner doesn’t have that luxury to fall back on those excuses to bail himself out with for his thumping at the hands of Shawn Porter. Broner knew going in that Porter, 27, wasn’t intimidated or in awe of him. And everybody knows that Porter is a serious guy who trains his rear-end off and is certainly no joke. Porter knew going in that if he took the fight to Broner that Adrien would come undone and be reduced to a jab and a big hook or right hand after it strategy, and that’s not boxing. Porter had no trouble dealing with the ‘escape, attempt a quick-counter and then hold’ pattern Broner lapsed into. Against Porter, it was on display for all to see that Broner isn’t a terrific boxer like Mayweather, Andre Ward or Terence Crawford. He’s really just fast and flashy, and that doesn’t hold off or neutralize real fighters like Maidana and Porter.
The problem for “The Problem” is now all the top junior welterweights and welterweights know it for a fact. I have to think that the elite fighters campaigning in between 140-147 will now step into the ring with Broner and view him as a guy who really doesn’t like it when the heat is turned up. His flashiness disguised as boxing doesn’t hold up. And it seems as though Broner doesn’t even realize it. Adrien doesn’t grasp that winning is the most important thing. With it comes the money and the notoriety, but it starts with winning and that has to be paramount to all fighters at every level. Bernard Hopkins knew it and obviously Mayweather got it.
If you want further proof that Broner doesn’t get it as a fighter or person – he said after the fight, “Listen, I still will fight anybody. It don’t matter, man. I’m a real animal. I’m an animal,” said Broner. “This time I didn’t get the decision, but it’s OK. At the end of the day, everybody in here will take my autograph and take my picture.”
No, Adrien. You’re almost to the point that no one has interest in you fighting anybody. And why should they when the two best fighters you had in front of you put you down and the other had you holding and looking to land the desperate Tyson-esque elbow on the inside. If you’re an animal, Adrien, at least when facing world class opposition, you’re a mountain lion that’s been de-clawed. You didn’t get the decision? Oh, it must have been a flip of a coin and it turned up for Porter on June 20th. You didn’t get the decision because Porter beat you up, other than one big left hook that you landed in the 12th round when you realized that your career was teetering on you becoming nothing more than a side show for future main events.
Broner’s career is at a crossroad and he’s just 25. He’s not getting any better, actually, he’s regressed. And I don’t think he realizes it and is willing to do the work necessary to hopefully get it back on track. He’s one loss away from becoming a trial horse and gate keeper. Add to that there’s a book on how to fight him now, which translates into every future opponent he faces now believing in their heart they can beat him. Now everybody will bring their A-game for Adrien Broner.
As of this writing the interest most fans probably have in Adrien Broner is watching and hoping he fails. And he really is too skilled to be at that stage at 25 only years old. Now the guy who flushed twenty dollar bills down the toilet is on the verge of his career being flushed down the toilet.
Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com
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Niyomtrong Proves a Bridge Too Far for Alex Winwood in Australia
![Niyomtrong-Proves-a-Bridge-Too-Far-for-Alex-Winwood-in-Australia](https://tss.ib.tv/boxing/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/knockout.png)
Today in Perth, Australia, Alex Winwood stepped up in class in his fifth pro fight with the aim of becoming the fastest world title-holder in Australian boxing history. But Winwood (4-0, 2 KOs heading in) wasn’t ready for WBA strawweight champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong, aka Knockout CP Freshmart, who by some accounts is the longest reigning champion in the sport.
Niyomtrong (25-0, 9 KOs) prevailed by a slim margin to retain his title. “At least the right guy won,” said prominent Australian boxing writer Anthony Cocks who thought the scores (114-112, 114-112, 113-113) gave the hometown fighter all the best of it.
Winwood, who represented Australia in the Tokyo Olympics, trained for the match in Thailand (as do many foreign boxers in his weight class). He is trained by Angelo Hyder who also worked with Danny Green and the Moloney twins. Had he prevailed, he would have broken the record of Australian boxing icon Jeff Fenech who won a world title in his seventh pro fight. A member of the Noongar tribe, Winwood, 27, also hoped to etch on his name on the list of notable Australian aboriginal boxers alongside Dave Sands, Lionel Rose and the Mundines, Tony and Anthony, father and son.
What Winwood, 27, hoped to capitalize on was Niyomtrong’s theoretical ring rust. The Thai was making his first start since July 20 of 2022 when he won a comfortable decision over Wanheng Menayothin in one of the most ballyhooed domestic showdowns in Thai boxing history. But the Noongar needed more edges than that to overcome the Thai who won his first major title in his ninth pro fight with a hard-fought decision over Nicaragua’s Carlos Buitrago who was 27-0-1 heading in.
A former Muai Thai champion, Niyomtrong/Freshmart turns 34 later this month, an advanced age for a boxer in the sport’s smallest weight class. Although he remains undefeated, he may have passed his prime. How good was he in his heyday? Prominent boxing historian Matt McGrain has written that he was the most accomplished strawweight in the world in the decade 2010-2019: “It is not close, it is not debatable, there is no argument.”
Against the intrepid Winwood, Niyomtrong started slowly. In round seven, he cranked up the juice, putting the local fighter down hard with a left hook. He added another knockdown in round nine. The game Winwood stayed the course, but was well-beaten at the finish, no matter that the scorecards suggested otherwise, creating the impression of a very close fight.
P.S. – Because boxrec refused to name this a title fight, it fell under the radar screen until the result was made known. In case you hadn’t noticed, boxrec is at loggerheads with the World Boxing Association and has decided to “de-certify” the oldest of the world sanctioning bodies. While this reporter would be happy to see the WBA disappear – it is clearly the most corrupt of the four major organizations – the view from here is that boxrec is being petty. Moreover, if this practice continues, it will be much harder for boxing historians of future generations to sort through the rubble.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 295: Callum Walsh, Pechanga Casino Fights and More
![Avila-Perspective-Chap-295-Callum-Walsh-Pechanga-Casino-Fights-and-More](https://tss.ib.tv/boxing/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/avila.png)
Super welterweight contender Callum Walsh worked out for reporters and videographers at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif. on Thursday,
The native of Ireland Walsh (11-0, 9 KOs) has a fight date against Poland’s Przemyslaw Runowski (22-2-1, 6 KOs) on Friday, Sept. 20 at the city of Dublin. It’s a homecoming for the undefeated southpaw from Cork. UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions card.
Mark down the date.
Walsh is the latest prodigy of promoter Tom Loeffler who has a history of developing European boxers in America and propelling them forward on the global boxing scene. Think Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin and you know what I mean.
Golovkin was a middleweight monster for years.
From Kevin Kelley to Oba Carr to Vitaly Klitschko to Serhii Bohachuk and many more in-between, the trail of elite boxers promoted by Loeffler continues to grow. Will Walsh be the newest success?
Add to the mix Dana White, the maestro of UFC, who is also involved with Walsh and you get a clearer picture of what the Irish lad brings to the table.
Walsh has speed, power and a glint of meanness that champions need to navigate the prizefighting world. He also has one of the best trainers in the world in Freddie Roach who needs no further introduction.
Perhaps the final measure of Walsh will be when he’s been tested with the most important challenge of all:
Can he take a punch from a big hitter?
That’s the final challenge
It always comes down to the chin. It’s what separates the Golovkins from the rest of the pack. At the top of the food chain they all can hit, have incredible speed and skill, but the fighters with the rock hard chins are those that prevail.
So far, the chin test is the only examination remaining for Walsh.
“King’ Callum Walsh is ready for his Irish homecoming and promises some fireworks for the Irish fans. This will be an entertaining show for the fans and we are excited to bring world class boxing back to the 3Arena in Dublin,” said Loeffler.
Pechanga Fights
MarvNation Promotions presents a battle between welterweight contenders Jose “Chon” Zepeda (37-5, 28 KOs) and Ivan Redkach (24-7-1, 19 KOs) on Friday, Sept. 6, at Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula. DAZN will stream the fight card.
Both have fought many of the best welterweights in the world and now face each other. It should be an interesting clash between the veterans.
Also on the card, featherweights Nathan Rodriguez (15-0) and Bryan Mercado (11-5-1) meet in an eight-round fight.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. First bout at 7 p.m.
Monster Inoue
Once again Japan’s Naoya Inoue dispatched another super bantamweight contender with ease as TJ Doheny was unable to continue in the seventh round after battered by a combination on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Inoue continues to brush away whoever is placed in front of him like a glint of dust.
Is the “Monster” the best fighter pound-for-pound on the planet or is it Terence Crawford? Both are dynamic punchers with skill, speed, power and great chins.
Munguia in Big Bear
Super middleweight contender Jaime Munguia is two weeks away from his match with Erik Bazinyan at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. ESPN will show the Top Rank card.
“Erik Bazinyan is a good fighter. He’s undefeated. He switches stances. We need to be careful with that. He’s taller and has a longer reach than me. He has a good jab. He can punch well on the inside. He’s a fighter who comes with all the desire to excel,” said Munguia.
Bazinyan has victories over Ronald Ellis and Alantez Fox.
In case you didn’t know, Munguia moved over to Top Rank but still has ties with Golden Boy Promotions and Zanfer Promotions. Bazinyan is promoted by Eye of the Tiger.
This is the Tijuana fighter’s first match with Top Rank since losing to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez last May in Las Vegas. He is back with trainer Erik Morales.
Callum Walsh photo credit: Lina Baker
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60 Years Ago This Month, the Curtain Fell on the Golden Era of TV Boxing
![60-Years-Ago-This-Month-the-Curtain-Fell-on-the-Golden-Era-of-TV-Boxing.jpg](https://tss.ib.tv/boxing/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TV.png)
The Sept. 11, 1964 fight between Dick Tiger and Don Fullmer marked the end of an era. The bout aired on ABC which had taken the reins from NBC four years earlier. This would be the final episode of the series informally known as the “Friday Night Fights” or the “Fight of the Week,” closing the door on a 20-year run. In the future, boxing on free home TV (non-cable) would be sporadic, airing mostly on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The days when boxing was a weekly staple on at least one major TV network were gone forever.
During the NBC years, the show ran on Friday in the 10:00-11-00 pm slot for viewers in the Eastern Time Zone and the “studio” was almost always Madison Square Garden. The sponsor from the very beginning was the Gillette razor company (during the ABC run, El Producto Cigars came on as a co-sponsor).
Gillette sponsored many sporting events – the Kentucky Derby, the World Series, the U.S. Open golf tournament and the Blue-Gray college football all-star game, to name just a few – all of which were bundled under the handle of the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports. Every sports fan in America could identify the catchphrase that the company used to promote their disposable “Blue Blades” – “Look Sharp, Feel Sharp, Be Sharp!” — and the melody of the Gillette jingle would become the most-played tune by marching bands at high school and college football halftime shows (the precursor, one might say, of the Kingsmen’s “Louie, Louie”).
The Sept. 11 curtain-closer wasn’t staged at Madison Square Garden but in Cleveland with the local area blacked out.
Dick Tiger, born and raised in Nigeria, was making his second start since losing his world middleweight title on a 15-round points decision to Joey Giardello. Don Fullmer would be attempting to restore the family honor. Dick Tiger was 2-0-1 vs. Gene Fullmer, Don’s more celebrated brother. Their third encounter, which proved to be Gene Fullmer’s final fight, was historic. It was staged in Ibadan, Nigeria, the first world title fight ever potted on the continent of Africa.
In New York, the epitaph of free TV boxing was written three weeks earlier when veteran Henry Hank fought up-and-comer Johnny Persol to a draw in a 10-round light heavyweight contest at the Garden. This was the final Gillette fight from the place where it all started.
Some historians trace the advent of TV boxing in the United States to Sept. 29, 1944, when a 20-year-old boxer from Connecticut, Willie Pep, followed his manager’s game plan to perfection, sticking and moving for 15 rounds to become the youngest featherweight champion in history, winning the New York version of the title from West Coast veteran Albert “Chalky” Wright.
There weren’t many TVs in use in those days. As had been true when the telephone was brand new, most were found in hospitals, commercial establishments, and in the homes of the very wealthy. But within a few years, with mass production and tumbling prices, the gizmo became a living room staple and the TV repairman, who made house calls like the family doctor, had a shop on every Main Street.
Boxing was ideally suited to the infant medium of television because the action was confined to a small area that required no refurbishment other than brighter illumination, keeping production costs low. The one-minute interval between rounds served as a natural commercial break. The main drawback was that a fight could end early, meaning fewer commercials for the sponsor who paid a flat rate.
At its zenith, boxing in some locales aired five nights a week. And it came to be generally seen that this oversaturation killed the golden goose. One by one, the small fight clubs dried up as fight fans stayed home to watch the fights on TV. In the big arenas, attendance fell off drastically. Note the difference between Pep vs. Wright, the 1944 originator, and Hank vs. Persol, also at Madison Square Garden:
Willie Pep vs. Chalky Wright Sept. 29, 1944 attendance 19,521
Henry Hank vs. Johnny Persol Aug. 21, 1964 attendance 5,219
(True, Pep vs. Wright was a far more alluring fight, but this fact alone doesn’t explain the wide gap. Published attendance counts aren’t always trustworthy. In the eyes of the UPI reporter who covered the Hank-Persol match, the crowd looked smaller. He estimated the attendance at 3,000.)
Hank vs. Persol was an entertaining bout between evenly-matched combatants. The Tiger-Fullmer bout, which played out before a sea of empty seats, was a snoozer. Don Fullmer, a late sub for Rocky Rivero who got homesick and returned to Argentina, was there just for the paycheck. A Pittsburgh reporter wrote that the match was as dull as a race between two turtles. Scoring off the “5-point-must” system, the judges awarded the match to Dick Tiger by margins of 6, 6, and 7 points.
And that was that. Some of the most sensational fights in the annals of boxing aired free on a major TV network, but the last big bang of the golden era was hardly a bang, merely a whimper.
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A recognized authority on the history of prizefighting and the history of American sports gambling, TSS editor-in-chief Arne K. Lang is the author of five books including “Prizefighting: An American History,” released by McFarland in 2008 and re-released in a paperback edition in 2020.
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The photo accompanying this article is from the 1962 fight at Madison Square Garden between Dick Tiger (on the right) and Henry Hank. To comment on this story in the Fight Forum CLICK HERE
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