By Bill "Two Scoops" Emes
Angel Garcia, trainer for WBC/WBA junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia, says Adrien Broner (27-1, 22KOs) made a big mistake by skipping 140-pounds, when he made a decision to jump up in weight from 135 to 147.
Broner won titles at super featherweight and lightweight, and then jumped to the welterweight division last June, when he captured the WBA title with a tough split decision win over Paulie Malignaggi.
Six months later, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Broner suffered a bruising twelve round decision loss to Marcos Maidana. During the fight, Broner was dropped twice and hurt on a few occasions.
"The thing about Broner is, he's a great fighter don't get me wrong, but 147 is big boys and you have to be at least 5'9 [to skip over a division like that]. And I'm not saying it can't be [done be a shorter fighter], but he just jumped to 147. If Danny decides to go to 147, we're going to work our way to 147. You don't just jump the weights. If you want be pound-for-pound and the best in the world, you have to be the best at every weight and be a puncher at every weight. You don't just jump to 147, you have to work your way in there," Angel Garcia told BoxingScene.com.
"He might be good at 147, but he just jumped from 135 to 147 and that's a leap. I knew that night, the question was, can Broner take a shot from Maidana. That was the question that night."
