by David P. Greisman
Floyd Mayweather Jr. is consistent in saying he’s retired from boxing for good. And Adrien Broner says that he wants to have the spotlight that previously belonged to the best of this era.
“This will be the new era of a new term of boxing,” Broner said at a Feb. 29 press conference ahead of his April 1 bout with Ashley Theophane, which will air on Spike TV from the D.C. Armory in Washington, D.C. “Big Bro [Mayweather] gone. There’s only one motherfucker that can take over this sport. Everybody else too boring. That’s why everybody here today, to see what the f*** I would say.”
Since his earliest fights in the spotlight, Broner has been compared to Floyd Mayweather Jr., particularly for his antics in trying to portray himself both as an antihero to those who like his shtick and a villain to those who are annoyed by it and want to see him lose.
Broner appreciates where his career has brought him, but he also says his admiration for Mayweather shouldn’t be mistaken for imitation.
“When I’m up here it brings tears to my eyes, because a lot of people told me I wouldn’t be here today. It’s just crazy because I really come from nothing. Like, nothing. Like, cereal in water nothing,” Broner said. “And for me to be as fortunate as I am and looking up to somebody like Floyd — I don’t wanna be him at all. Some people might take what I do and be like, you wanna be like Floyd. But I don’t want to be like [anyone else], no disrespect to nobody.”
Pick up a copy of David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” at http://bit.ly/fightingwordsamazon or internationally at http://bit.ly/fightingwordsworldwide. Send questions/comments via email at fightingwords1@gmail.com
