Criminal Charges Against Adrien Broner Dropped
By: Sean Crose
Flamboyant and controversial boxer Adrien Broner got himself out of trouble on Tuesday after his alleged victim in a robbery and assault case didn’t show up for court in Ohio. Broner was accused of attacking and robbing a man outside a bowling alley in Cincinnati earlier this year after a night of bowling for considerable money. A gun was allegedly involved in the incident and there was also supposed to be video footage in play. Still, when a star witness is a no show, it’s hard to proceed with a criminal trial. Also worth noting is the fact that the alleged victim/witness dropped a civil case against Broner back in June.
Now a free man, Broner can return to his career in the ring, if he so chooses. Sure enough, word is out that the man known as The Problem wants to fight again before the year is out. Broner’s last bout, against an outclassed Ashley Theophane, ended up adding another victory to a 32-2 resume that includes title runs at multiple weight classes. Still, Broner is known as much now for his outside the ring antics as he is for his considerable ring ability. Aside from this most recent run in with the law, Broner has an illustrious history of inappropriate behavior.
With that in mind, however, it’s worth noting that Broner is indeed a talented athlete. Aggressive and fast, he was once thought to be on his way to superstardom. Losses to the considerable likes of Marcos Maidana and Shawn Porter, however, have taken more than a bit of the bloom off of Broner’s rose. Yet the man’s personality, combined with his skill set, make him much see TV for many fight fans, something that’s a big plus in this era of acute boxing doldrums. Whether or not the man shows the discipline and ambition to live up to long dormant expectations now that he’s free and clear of some pretty serious charges remains to be seen.
Broner is currently the former – that’s former – WBA superlightweight champion (he didn’t make weight for that Theophane fight), which means he’s still arguably a divisional peer of such notables as Bud Crawford, Viktor Postol, Lucas Matthysse and Lamont Peterson. Even though promotional politics can (What else is new?) prevent most of these fights from happening, the opposition is out there should Broner push to assert himself. As always, time will ultimately tell the tale. Here’s hoping The Problem rises to the occasion.
