by Chris Cella
Following his impressive dismantling of Anthony DeMarco nearly 10 days ago and claiming the WBC lightweight championship title, Adrien “The Problem” Broner solidified himself as the top fighter in the 135-pound weight class and quite possibly as one of the most dangerous pound-for-pound punchers in boxing right now.
At 23-years-old, Broner is already a two-division world champion, and he now has his eyes set on going to battle with eight-division world champion and future Hall-of-Famer Manny “Pac-man” Pacquiao.
“It’s still Floyd Mayweather and Pacquiao out there right now,” Broner told The Ring Magazine. “But who knows if that fight will happen? But I know which fight will happen, and that’s between me and Pacquiao.”
Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KO) is anxiously awaiting his chance to complete his hat trick of victories over Mexican boxing sensation Juan Manuel Marquez as the two warriors meet for a fourth time December 8 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
Stylistically, Broner/Pacquiao would be a fight fans around the world would relish over—two heavy hitters with lightning-fast hand speed, who would most likely stand in the center of the ring and go to war for 12 rounds.
But despite how much both fighters may want this fight to happen, it comes down to the promoters.
It’s no secret that there is no love lost between Broner’s team at Golden Boy Promotions and Pacman’s promoter Bob Arum, and ultimately the ongoing “rivalry” would be the impeding factor on bringing this fight to life. (Where have we heard this before?)
The talent pool in the 140 and 147 weight classes is at an all-time high, and as Broner moves up in weight, he will undoubtedly have his choice at any opponent he wants to throw down with.
As tremendous of a fight Broner/Pacman could potentially be, it seems highly unlikely due to the men behind the scenes.