By Declan Taylor
ASHLEY THEOPHANE has revealed what he believes will be his secret weapon when it comes to dethroning WBA light-welterweight KING Adrien Broner this spring: Nate Jones.
Londoner Theophane is set to clash the self-styled Problem in ‘March or April’, according to his promoter Floyd Mayweather, with Washington DC the suggested location.
The 39-6-1 Brit is a huge betting underdog in the fight against the Cincinnati native but insists he has what it takes to pull off an upset and become world champion at the age of 35.
Theophane is back in the UK as he wait for a date and venue to be finalised but he is training at West London’s All Stars Boxing Club and will head back to Las Vegas to complete his camp ahead of the fight.
And he says that Green will be the key to formulating his game plan because of his inside knowledge of Broner.
Theophane explained: “There’s Nate Jones who works with Floyd. He worked with Broner for one of his fights so he’s seen him first-hand.
“When he lost to Shawn Porter, he trained at our gym in Vegas and Nate was helping out so Nate knows his good points, his bad points. So we know what to do but it’s just for me to do it on the day.
“But Floyd has sparred with me and he knows I’ve got what it takes but it’s all about doing it when the lights are bright.”
Theophane is adamant he has no problem waiting around for news of the fight, which had been originally suggested as late January showdown in Atlanta, Georgia.
He added: “I spoke with the team today and they’re working on an exact date but it’s confirmed that I’ll be fighting Adrien next. It’s going to be March to April. It might be next month or the start of April. It’s going to be soon and I’m ready, whenever it will be. The last thing I heard is that Floyd said it will be in Washington DC.
“I could have fought on December 18 because there was a Money Team show but I missed it because I wanted to focus on the big one. I’m used to staying in the gym, staying in shape. It’s a dream come true to fight for the world title and Floyd has made it happen so I’m forever grateful.
“I’m doing some of the work over here but I’ll do the final stages of camp in Vegas to acclimatise. It has been great being home, everyone is here, I’ve got a nice reception so it’s great to be in London.”
The unassuming former British champion is not one for trash talking but says he will have no trouble handling Broner’s famous motor mouth during the build-up.
“He talks, that’s how he promotes his fights but it won’t faze me,” Theophane said. “But he’s saying the same things to me that he did to Shawn Porter and Marcos Maidana. I just have to stay focused and keep working on the game plan. With Adrien, you can never trust what he’s going to say.
“I’ve been around Floyd for three years now so I’ve seen the big fights in Vegas. Being around Floyd gives you that extra boost, he believes in me and that’s why this fight is going ahead. It’s all about just doing it on the night.”