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During the weigh-in the day before his June 9 clash with then-WBO welterweight titleholder Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, rising WBO junior welterweight titleholder Tim Bradley was being interviewed by HBO's ringside commentator Max Kellerman, who told the undefeated fighter "upset's in the air."
More than 24 hours later, it was Bradley, indeed, who came away with a controversial split-decision victory over Pacquiao, an eight-division titlewinner whose 15-bout winning streak that included eight stoppage wins was ended by his first loss since falling by unanimous decision to Erik Morales in March of 2005.
Pacquiao's setback was the latest in several shocking, if not, upset losses by marquee fighters in the sport, the latest being a fourth-round stoppage of former titleholder Amir Khan by Danny Garcia, whose victory added Khan's WBA junior welterweight belt as well as the division's RING championship to the WBC crown he already owned.
But as he heads into Saturday night's HBO-televised junior lightweight defense against Vicente Escobedo (26-3, 15 knockouts), WBO beltholder Adrien Broner (23-0, 19 KOs) says he's not worried about losing.
"Like I've always said, I have faith in God," said Broner, who will face Escobedo at U.S. Bank Arena in Broner's hometown of Cincinnati. "I believe in God and I believe in myself, so I don't even think about upsets."
The upsets happen, said Broner, for two reasons: The fighters who lose are not him, and they are not Floyd Mayweather Jr.
"You know, Pacquiao was good and Amir Khan was good. But you know, if it's not me or Floyd Mayweather, then it's not a for sure win," said Broner, who turns 23 on July 28 and is believed to be America's youngest titleholder.
"Anything can happen in boxing. Like they say, any fight is one punch away from a knockout. That is, if it isn't me or Floyd Mayweather, anything can happen. Otherwise, you already know what's going to happen when me and Floyd are in the ring."
In April, a tremendous statement was made by Brooklyn native Paulie Malignaggi, who completely dominated the physically bigger, taller, harder-punching and previously unbeaten Vyacheslav Senchenko in front of Senchenko's hometown fans at Donbass Arena in Donetsk, Ukraine, and scored a ninth-round technical knockout with a referee known for not stepping in to stop fights.
A former IBF junior welterweight beltholder in just his fourth welterweight bout, the 5-foot-8 Malignaggi (31-4, 7 KOs) had busted the nose of the 5-10 Senchenko (32-1, 21 KOs) and battered his left eye bloody and swollen shut by the time the fight was over.
Such was the beating inflicted by the fighter nicknamed, "The Magic Man," that referee Steve Smoger -- who almost never stops fights on his own -- had seen enough to come to Sencheko's rescue.
In May, English super middleweight Carl Froch scored a stunning, fifth-round stoppage that dethroned previously unbeaten southpaw Lucian Bute as IBF beltholder and made Froch a three-time titlewinner.
Then came Pacquiao-Bradley in June, and Garcia-Khan this past Saturday.
But coming off an HBO televised fourth-round stoppage of previously unbeaten Eloy Perez (23-1-2, 7 KOs) in February, Broner says he's well-prepared to face Escobedo, who was last in the ring in May for a unanimous decision over Juan Ruiz in Escobedo’s hometown of Woodland, Calif.
"As long as I train hard and as long as I'm in shape, I know none of these guys is going to beat me. Like I have said, I keep God first, and I've got all of the skills. I've got speed, power and the boxing abilities," said Broner.
"My IQ in the ring is equivalent to Einstein's. I'm just saying. The world still hasn't seen the best of Adrien Broner yet. So when all of the work is done, the only thing that I have to do is my job. I mean, what more can I say?"
http://rin gtv.craveonline.com/blog/173897-broner-doesnt-fear-the-upset-against-escobedo
More than 24 hours later, it was Bradley, indeed, who came away with a controversial split-decision victory over Pacquiao, an eight-division titlewinner whose 15-bout winning streak that included eight stoppage wins was ended by his first loss since falling by unanimous decision to Erik Morales in March of 2005.
Pacquiao's setback was the latest in several shocking, if not, upset losses by marquee fighters in the sport, the latest being a fourth-round stoppage of former titleholder Amir Khan by Danny Garcia, whose victory added Khan's WBA junior welterweight belt as well as the division's RING championship to the WBC crown he already owned.
But as he heads into Saturday night's HBO-televised junior lightweight defense against Vicente Escobedo (26-3, 15 knockouts), WBO beltholder Adrien Broner (23-0, 19 KOs) says he's not worried about losing.
"Like I've always said, I have faith in God," said Broner, who will face Escobedo at U.S. Bank Arena in Broner's hometown of Cincinnati. "I believe in God and I believe in myself, so I don't even think about upsets."
The upsets happen, said Broner, for two reasons: The fighters who lose are not him, and they are not Floyd Mayweather Jr.
"You know, Pacquiao was good and Amir Khan was good. But you know, if it's not me or Floyd Mayweather, then it's not a for sure win," said Broner, who turns 23 on July 28 and is believed to be America's youngest titleholder.
"Anything can happen in boxing. Like they say, any fight is one punch away from a knockout. That is, if it isn't me or Floyd Mayweather, anything can happen. Otherwise, you already know what's going to happen when me and Floyd are in the ring."
In April, a tremendous statement was made by Brooklyn native Paulie Malignaggi, who completely dominated the physically bigger, taller, harder-punching and previously unbeaten Vyacheslav Senchenko in front of Senchenko's hometown fans at Donbass Arena in Donetsk, Ukraine, and scored a ninth-round technical knockout with a referee known for not stepping in to stop fights.
A former IBF junior welterweight beltholder in just his fourth welterweight bout, the 5-foot-8 Malignaggi (31-4, 7 KOs) had busted the nose of the 5-10 Senchenko (32-1, 21 KOs) and battered his left eye bloody and swollen shut by the time the fight was over.
Such was the beating inflicted by the fighter nicknamed, "The Magic Man," that referee Steve Smoger -- who almost never stops fights on his own -- had seen enough to come to Sencheko's rescue.
In May, English super middleweight Carl Froch scored a stunning, fifth-round stoppage that dethroned previously unbeaten southpaw Lucian Bute as IBF beltholder and made Froch a three-time titlewinner.
Then came Pacquiao-Bradley in June, and Garcia-Khan this past Saturday.
But coming off an HBO televised fourth-round stoppage of previously unbeaten Eloy Perez (23-1-2, 7 KOs) in February, Broner says he's well-prepared to face Escobedo, who was last in the ring in May for a unanimous decision over Juan Ruiz in Escobedo’s hometown of Woodland, Calif.
"As long as I train hard and as long as I'm in shape, I know none of these guys is going to beat me. Like I have said, I keep God first, and I've got all of the skills. I've got speed, power and the boxing abilities," said Broner.
"My IQ in the ring is equivalent to Einstein's. I'm just saying. The world still hasn't seen the best of Adrien Broner yet. So when all of the work is done, the only thing that I have to do is my job. I mean, what more can I say?"
http://rin gtv.craveonline.com/blog/173897-broner-doesnt-fear-the-upset-against-escobedo
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