By Kirk Jackson
Power versus speed? A definitive meeting between an archetypical rugged brawler, going up against a speedy, flashy showman. This is probably the most entertaining fight that can be made in boxing.
I’m not talking about Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao: that ship has long passed.
What we have is potentially the makings of an intriguing match featuring two rising stars in the sport, two guys who can become the premier faces of boxing within the next couple of years.
From Twitter:
Adrien Broner
@Brandon_Rios1 a homie stop talking that fuck shit you cool people’s but I will beat the fuck out you boy better worry bout your next fight!
Brandon Rios
@AdrienBroner you won’t do shit cuz I m not 4 foot. You was the one open ur mouth n said my name. Fucker n try n come knock this tree down
Yes, I’m talking about a meeting between Adrien Broner 26-0( 22 ko’s), the young flashy fighter who draws comparisons to Floyd Mayweather and Brandon Rios 31 – 0 – 1 draw (23 ko’s), a gutsy, action-friendly fighter who has been compared to Antonio Margarito.
These two have been circling around nearby divisions the past couple of years, but have never been on each other’s radars, so to speak.
Not only could this bring positive attention for the sport from long time followers; the fight could be compelling enough to attract even casual fans. A fight between the two could potentially resemble a Julio Caser Chavez vs. Meldrick Taylor classic from back in the 1990s.
Rios has rematch against Mike Alvarado March 30th, and Broner has a match May 4th against an opponent yet to be named.
It would be great if a Rios-Broner match up was arranged and featured on the already packed May 4th card featuring Floyd Mayweather vs. Robert Guerrero and Canelo Alvarez vs. Austin Trout.
But that’s unlikely to happen.
There is a cold war between the respective fighter’s managers and promotional companies. Broner is managed by Al Haymon and fights under the Golden Boy Promotions umbrella, while Rios fights under Bob Arum’s Top Rank Promotions.
The disdain between the two companies has prevented intriguing matchups in the past from occurring. See Mayweather vs. Pacquiao.
This match is intriguing because of fighting style of each contestant and the aesthetic result of placing these two guys in the ring against one another.
Both guys are action-packed, fan-friendly fighters.
Rios is a ballsy brawler who can inflict a ton of punishment. He will take three punches to deliver one punch, so he tends to block punches with his face. This makes for compelling theater.
Although Broner possesses athleticism and the ability to be evasive like a prototypical slick fighter, he chooses to chase down his opponents and initiate the action, risking imminent danger in the process.
Broner, having conquered the junior lightweight division, is in the process of on cleaning out the lightweight division. Perhaps a move up to junior welterweight and welterweight against bigger opponents is in his future.
Rios had a solid run at lightweight and aims to dominate the junior welterweight division. The junior welterweight division features talented fighters like Danny Garcia, Amir Khan, Lamont Peterson, Zab Judah and Lucas Matthysse.
A collision between Rios and Broner seems inevitable at some point if these two truly wish to fight the best.
Both guys are highly touted by followers of the sport and are starting to gain steam popularity wise. If marketed correctly, either fighter can propel himself towards the pinnacle of the sport in a few short years: they just need that one big fight.
Rios was involved in an action-packed fight of the year candidate bout against Alvarado, but he needs a guy like Broner, a star in the making and a quality fighter who will bring the best out of him in order to reach the next plateau of stardom, especially with Manny Pacquiao currently out of the picture.
The same can be said for Broner. Already at the young age of 23, he has cracked the Ring Magazine Top 5 Pound For Pound List. He has the flashy style to go along with substance, a few world titles, but lacks a notable name on his resume.
Daniel Ponce De Leon, Jason Litzau, Vincente Escobedo are all good fighters, but do not have the recognition of Rios. They also do not have the style that can force Broner into an all-out action packed affair.
This is the fight that can transform Broner or Rios into a household name. Or at least place them on the right track to do so.
They need each other.
Boxing needs this fight to happen.
Unfortunately Golden Boy and Top Rank stand in the way.
