Adrien Broner has a New Opponent: Ivan Redkach is Out; Hank Lundy is In

Yesterday (Monday, Jan. 16) it came to light that the match between Adrien Broner and Ivan Redkach, scheduled for Feb. 25 in Atlanta, was in jeopardy. Today the scuttlebutt was confirmed when promoter BLK Prime issued a press release saying that Broner had a new opponent; Hank Lundy.

Perplexing tweets from Ivan Redkach were the first indication that something was amiss.

“There are a lot of mean people in boxing who ruin the life of boxers, break their dream. It hurts me, I’m done with boxing. I was loyal to boxing [but] when a boxer has his hands tied, he cannot fight.” In a subsequent tweet, Redkach wrote, “Thank you very much BLK for the opportunity.”

The wellspring of Redkach’s frustration, one soon learned, was a disagreement between him and his new promoter Joe DeGuardia.

In a conversation with New York boxing writer Abraham Gonzalez, DeGuardia alleged that BLK Prime initiated talks with Redkach without involving him and that he balked when BLK restructured the Terms of Agreement without his consent, such as boosting the assigned weight from 144 to 147 with no penalty for Broner (pudgy at last sighting) if he came in overweight.

Fledgling promoters, especially those without deep pockets, tend to overcompensate by laying the hype on thick in their press releases. P.T. Barnum would be proud.

The Broner vs Redkach match was “highly anticipated” in the words of the BLK tub-thumper, an insult to those that witnessed Redkach’s last fight. His match with Regis Prograis in April of last year ended in the sixth round with the LA-based Ukrainian writhing on the canvas clutching his groin, seemingly in great pain after absorbing a low blow. Replays showed that the offending punch was a glancing blow that landed on his side above his beltline and Redkach, well behind on the cards, was accused of faking it.

As for Adrien Broner, his recent efforts bear evidence of Camacho Syndrome. Although it didn’t keep him out of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Hector Camacho was never the same after his bruising 1986 tiff with Edwin Rosario. He devolved into a runner, reluctant to let his hands go unless pitted against a feeble opponent. Ten of Camacho’s next 11 fights went the full distance.

Similarly, Broner has never been the same after losing to Marcos Maidana in 2013. A heavy underdog, Maidana didn’t merely saddle “The Problem” with his first defeat; he roughed him up. Broner has lost three times since then and was underwhelming in narrow victories against such lightly-regarded opponents as Adrian Granados and Jovanie Santiago.

As for Hank Lundy, BLK Prime informs us that he has an “impressive resume” and is “a fan favorite guaranteed to put on a great show.”

“Broner vs. Lundy,” says BLK, “promises to be a thrilling and action-packed matchup between two battle-tested warriors who are promising to go to war. The combination of Broner’s speed and power with Lundy’s grit and determination is sure to make for an unforgettable night of boxing.”

What the blurb doesn’t tell you is that Hank Lundy (31-12-1, 14 KOs) is 39 years old and has lost six of his last eight. Before this opportunity came along, he was penciled in to fight rising prospect Ernesto Mercado (8-0, 8 KOs) on Feb. 5 on a card in Ontario, California. It would have been Mercado’s first 10-round fight.

Lundy was undoubtedly attractive to BLK Prime not merely because he was available, but because he works cheap nowadays, likely taking on assignments that pay in the low five-figures. In defense of BLK Prime, however, their maiden promotion in Omaha featuring Terence Crawford went off without a hitch and was a big success at the gate, attracting a near-capacity crowd.

As of now, Broner vs. Lundy with former title-holders Mickey Bey and Tevin Farmer meeting in the co-feature, is still on for Feb. 25 at Gateway Center Arena which can be configured to hold 5,000 for boxing. The pay-per-view price remains unchanged: $39.95.

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