Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer confirmed that Adrien “The Problem” Broner has exercised his contractual rematch clause and will challenge his conqueror, Marcos “El Chino” Maidana, in his next bout. Broner (27-1, 22 KO) will attempt to win back the WBA welterweight title he loss in devastating fashion at the hands of Maidana (35-3, 31 KO) on Dec. 14 on Showtime Championship Boxing.
In the first bout, Maidana knocked down the previously undefeated Broner twice and frustrated the champion with his unorthodox, high-pressure fighting style. The cocky champion was never allowed to get comfortable in the ring and was pummeled for most of the bout. The beating came much to the delight of fans who had grown weary of Broner’s crass and disrespectful persona. After the bout, the deposed champ refused to give an immediate post-fight interview and instead stormed away causing fans to pelt him with concessions.
Though he was outclassed by Maidana in the bout, even Broner’s harshest critics must give him credit for the heart and determination he showed by surviving his opponent’s onslaught, fighting back and making it to the final bell. By taking an immediate rematch, Broner is showing that while the loss cost him his title, it did not strip him of his confidence. Many fighters would have asked for a tune-up fight or tried to find an easier path back to the title.
How the rematch will turn out is anybody’s guess. From a skill standpoint, Broner seems to have the hand speed and boxing ability to defeat Maidana. That’s part of the reason Broner was such a big betting favorite in Las Vegas leading up to the first bout. Of course, all the skills in the world don’t matter much if you can’t remain upright for most of the fight. In order to win, Broner will have to be more active with his hands and less hittable with his face.
For Maidana, he has the will, power and effective-awkwardness to keep Broner on the defensive all night. If he can manage to hurt Broner early, as he did in the first fight, he will likely gain an insurmountable mental edge. Broner’s power as a welterweight is also in question, which should give the new champion confidence in a repeat victory.
Can Broner fight a more disciplined fight in the sequel, or will it be more of the same? Regardless, it should be an exciting fight. Hopefully Broner calms down on the pre-fight antics and doubles down on the preparation for this potential Fight of the Year.
Celtics and Rondo need to proceed with caution
Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo has been hinting to an upcoming return. The four-time All-Star has been suited and booted on the sidelines for nearly a year after tearing his ACL on Jan. 27, 2013 in a game against the Miami Heat. They dynamic playmaker recently tweeted “29,233,380 secs” on his Twitter account, which points to Friday, Jan. 17 as a return date if calculated from the date and time of his ACL surgery.
Celtics first-year coach Brad Stevens has not confirmed nor denied the rumors but is certainly looking forward to the return of his star player. While it’s understandable why the slumping Celtics would be foaming at the mouth for Rondo’s return, all parties need to exercise extreme caution.
While Rondo was on the shelf, the team traded away all most of its talent to Brooklyn, leaving Boston with a young, inexperienced team. In other words, even with Rondo running the show, the Celtics are more likely a lottery contender than a title contender. While an 8th playoff seed in the awful Eastern Conference isn’t impossible, the vicious beat down they would surely receive from the Indiana Pacers or Miami Heat might not be much consolidation.
A quick look around the league will show that recent All-Stars returning from serious injury have not fared very well. Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook and Kobe Bryant all came back this season only to be reintroduced to the IR. Surely Rondo must return at some point, but he and the organization should make sure he’s 100% and not try to rush him for the sake of the standings.
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