Adrien Broner vs Mikey Garcia: Only one can reignite their stalled path to the top
This weekend, a very intriguing clash takes place at light-welterweight. Adrien Broner and Mikey Garcia will do battle at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. But as good a headline pairing as this in 2017, it’s quite surprising that this particular fight hasn’t already happened – and to much more fanfare.
In the early 2010s, Broner and Garcia were both top unbeaten prospects. Garcia’s record, at 36-0, remains unblemished to this day while Broner has tasted defeat only twice. Over the last four years, however, each man encountered setbacks that very few fight fans saw coming.
Their respective career stalls were very different, which is fitting since they themselves are nothing alike.
Broner spent a long time receiving – and welcoming – comparisons to Floyd Mayweather. Unfortunately for ‘The Problem’, his attempts to replicate Floyd’s business model of combining brash and provocative behaviour with an untouchable winning streak contained far too much provocation and nowhere near enough winning.
It was Marcos Maidana who took Broner’s ‘0’ – ironically earning himself a pair of lucrative tilts at Mayweather in the process – and battle-hardened welter Shawn Porter has also since condemned Adrien to defeat. His huge upside has been diluted by tasteless comments and repeated failures to make weight, and while at 27 he’s far from washed-up it’s difficult to envision him ever reaching the heights many suggested he could reach in his early 20s.
On the other hand, Garcia’s professional plight could be described as one of honour. In fact, Yahoo’s very own US combat sports expert Kevin Iole summarised it rather nicely:
“At the peak of his powers, at a point in his career where he was about to break through and hit stardom, Garcia walked away from the sport. Whether you agree or disagree, or whether he was right or wrong, in his opinion it does not matter.
“Garcia felt strongly that he wasn’t being treated fairly by Top Rank and was willing to sacrifice everything in pursuit of what he believed in. He spent over $1 million on attorneys to try to prove his point.
“He was out of the game for more than two years, only to return last year with a new promoter, renewed energy, but the same attitude.”
Garcia has won his first two fights back since the exile, returning almost a year to the day before the Broner bout at the very same Barclays Center. And though this matchup could easily have been huge news in 2014 or 2015 if everything had gone to plan for both, it promises to be as exciting and as open with a renewed push for superstardom very much available to the victor.
Broner came across far more focused and disciplined than what we’ve come to expect from him at the final press conference before Saturday’s showdown.
“Just know that I’ll be ready on Saturday night,” he said. “I’m not worried about how much he’ll weigh when we step into the ring. I’m ready for anything.
“Camp was tough, but it was great. I did a lot of things differently and made sure that I was doing everything right. I made sure not to cut any corners this camp.
“This is going to be a great fight for boxing. I’ve done my due diligence. I’m going to take care of business. I just know myself and know what I’m capable of.
“Every fight is a must-win in this sport. There’s no fight you go into with a loss on your mind. I’m going to put on a show on Saturday.
“I laugh when people write me off. I’m used to being the underdog coming from where I come from. People don’t know what I’ve been through to get to this point. I’m blessed to be where I’m at. Saturday night there will be a lot more room on the bandwagon.
“We’ll see who’s on the pound-for-pound list after Saturday night. We could have fought years ago but the time is now and I’m ready.”
Garcia, meanwhile, said: “I’m prepared to go 12 hard rounds with Adrien Broner. This is a high profile fight. Probably more than my other fights.
“It’s created a lot of buzz amongst fans and media. Everyone is anticipating a great fight. This is a great matchup that can take me to the next level.
“I don’t think that he’s going to be desperate but he knows that I’m not an easy opponent. That’s why he’s taken camp so seriously. I expect him to be at his best and be ready. He knows that if he beats me he can launch his career back to where it was.
“He’s a four-division world champion so clearly he has the skills. I need someone who is hungry and motivated to bring out the best in me. My main focus is getting the win by any means necessary.
“I’m going to look to box effectively and show that I’m the better fighter. We’re both smart fighters but neither of us will run from the other. When you have styles like ourselves, with two guys who like to exchange punches, you’re in for a great battle.”
