He’s told us that he’s destined to become a great fighter. He said that his opponent last night, now former WBC lightweight champion Antonio DeMarco, was nowhere near his league and would get the “Mayweather vs. Corrales” treatment. For one night at least, Adrien “The Problem” Broner was completely accurate with every pre-fight statement as he dismantled DeMarco over eight rounds.
Two things stood out to me as the most impressive aspects of Broner’s performance. His defense was exceptional; Broner use of upper body movement, spacing and gloves to pick off shots rendered DeMarco’s southpaw left and body punching absolutely usesless. Secondly, Broner was phenomenal on the inside, using an assortment of uppercuts and short hooks that had DeMarco guessing and hesitant to throw for fear of counters. The fifth round in particular is the best so far of Broner’s career, earning him a 10-8 round strictly on the number of flush, powerful punches sans a knockdown.
The ending sequence of inside punches, punctuated by a left uppercut that took DeMarco to the canvas in a shuddering heap, prompted DeMarco’s corner to bring in the white towel.
Do you think Broner was happy with his performance? Here’s what he had to say at the post-fight press conference.
“What can I say after a performance like that? I am elite,” beamed Broner. “Like I said coming into this fight, I’m an elite fighter that can make a great fighter look like an amateur and I think that’s what I did tonight.”
Can’t argue with the man. DeMarco is a very good fighter, and elite fighters treat good fighters exactly like Broner did. In his recent interview with this site, Broner mentioned his desire to face Juan Manuel Marquez. That would be an awesome fight but it’s highly unlikely to happen. If Broner doesn’t stick around at lightweight, there’s always fellow Golden Boy fighters at 140 like Lucas Matthysse and Danny Garcia that could make for excellent matchups.
For those that missed it, enjoy the full fight while it’s available on YouTube.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 