Adrien Broner took exception Thursday to the implication that he is anything resembling old.
Broner made his pro debut in May 2008, but the four-weight world champion will only turn 33 next week. His opponent on August 20, Omar Figueroa Jr., is just four months younger than Broner, thus he doesn’t understand why reporters questioned him as if he were the second coming of Bernard Hopkins.
“Hey, man, you talkin’ to me like I’m 65 years old, man,” Broner said. “Do you know who you talkin’ to? I’m AB, man, Adrien Broner. You trippin’.”
The Cincinnati native will fight for just the sixth time in the past six-plus years when he faces Figueroa in a 12-round, 140-pound main event Showtime will air from Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Broner believes a victory over the former WBC lightweight champion will set him on course to make a successful resurgence in the junior welterweight division.
“Man, like I said it before, man, they don’t really appreciate you until you done,” said Broner, who is 1-2-1 in his last four fights. “So, you know, I know I’m far from being finished. I know my name will always be big in this boxing game. And I’m just here to just go on this run and become the best Adrien Broner I can be.”
This was a more subdued Broner than the frustrated fighter who cursed out longtime adviser Al Haymon and Showtime Sports’ Stephen Espinoza and walked away from his computer at the beginning of a virtual press conference Tuesday. It bothered Broner two days before he participated in this question-and-answer session that he was asked to partake in a virtual press conference, which became standard operating procedure for Showtime, Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions and other networks, streaming services and promoters during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A remorseful Broner explained Wednesday through his Instagram account that he was irritated Tuesday “with a lot of sh*t that’s going on in my life.” He added that he has no problem whatsoever with Haymon or Showtime, which has televised six of Broner’s last seven bouts either live on the network or on pay-per-view.
Broner (34-4-1, 24 KOs, 1 NC) will fight for the first time next month since he defeated Puerto Rico’s Jovanie Santiago by unanimous decision in February 2021 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Exactly 18 months will have passed between Broner’s bouts by the time he steps into the ring to fight Figueroa.
Broner beat Santiago (14-2-1, 10 KOs) by scores of 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112, but their welterweight bout was perceived to be closer by factions of fans and media. Though he expressed respect for Figueroa (28-2-1, 19 KOs), who has lost back-to-back bouts to former WBA welterweight champ Yordenis Ugas and Abel Ramos, Broner is fully confident he’ll extend Figueroa’s losing streak to three.
“You know, I’m Adrien Broner, you know, four-time world champion in four different weight classes,” Broner said. “So, you know, that expectation for me is always high. When I go in the ring, I know a lot of people expect a lot of great things out of me. So, I’m used to it. For me, man, I’m just going in, trying to get the victory.”
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