By Sean Crose
“So I took a loss,” Adrien Broner is quoted by ESPN’s Dan Rafael as saying. “But my check was amazing.” New year. Same old Broner.
Thought you were rid of the guy for a few months? Guess again. News has arrived that Broner is exercising a rematch clause for another bout against Marcos Maidana. Unfortunately, it’s more than just rumor. For the word has come straight Golden Boy honcho Richard Schaefer’s mouth.
So…what’s it all mean?
Well, for starters, it means Broner still has his amazing, some might say delusional, confidence. It also means that Broner may be doing himself some serious career damage…the kind of career damage that will make last month’s loss seem like a bad sparing session.
Let’s face it, people were happy to see Broner fall to Maidana. And if he loses again, those same people will have an excuse to totally write him off. Maybe Broner should have saved some of that cash he supposedly flushed down a toilet as a lark.
What this all means to me, though, is that Broner still doesn’t have his head on straight, even after the humiliation of losing to Maidana in Texas. Rather than taking a good, hard look at himself, rather than focusing on what’s really good for his career, the young man from Cincinnati has again made a rash decision.
Broner has work to do, after all, and lots of it. There’s simply no way he’ll be able to get his act together before spring, which is when he’s supposed to battle Maidana again. Here’s a kid who’s so immature, so hyped by his own hype, that he appears completely unaware of his own limitations.
Seriously now, does anyone really think Broner will be able to get his defense up to snuff before stepping back into the ring with Maidana? Does anyone think he’ll be able to punch more consistently? Does anyone really think he’ll be able to learn whether or not he can actually compete in the welterweight division? His inner circle might, but I can think of no one else who does.
Yet even if Broner is to somehow best Maidana the second time around (note to gamblers – don’t bet on it happening), does that mean he’s gone and fixed the problems that caused him to taste defeat in the first place? Possibly, but not likely.
It’s good to understand that Broner was done in at the Alamodome by hubris and by a lack of self awareness more than anything else. He simply didn’t know his limitations. And the fact that he wants to jump right back into the lion’s den so quickly suggests he still doesn’t.
After all that happened that December evening, Broner still thinks like a child. He’s been embarrassed, so he has to safe face. Not grow up. Not learn from the experience. Just save face. Trust me Adrien, even if you do save face this time, you’ll lose it again soon enough. For a victory in this rematch would only reinforce your belief that what’s wrong in your life is right. And that would be too bad.
Still, I don’t see you pulling off a victory against Maidana. No, I see Maidana beating you again. I really do. For all your youthfulness, Adrien, you’re still the proverbial old dog who can’t be taught new tricks. And that’s the great tragedy of your story to date.
As has been stated, the ring is a good place for redemption. Truth be told, most Broner haters would actually be happy to see a more mature, more capable Adrien ply his craft to the best of his potential. It’s all up to Adrien, though.
As far as the immediate future goes, things are most definitely not looking up.
