With a record of (27-0, 22 KOs), Adrien Broner appeared to be on his way to becoming a pound-for-pound star. Unfortunately for Broner, what happened on the night of December 14, 2013, seemed to change the course of his boxing journey.
A product of Cincinnati, Ohio, Adrien Broner, also known as AB, made his professional boxing debut in May 2008 when he stopped Allante Davis in the first round. Broner would go on to win his next twenty fights.
Broner collected his first world title in November 2011 when he stopped Vicente Rodriguez in the third round and won the vacant WBO super-featherweight belt. Unfortunately, he was disqualified before the second defense because he didn’t make weight.
AB would continue to move up in weight and defeat Antonio Demarco by 8th round TKO. With the victory, Broner won the WBC lightweight title and became a two-weight world champion.
Nine months later, in June 2013, Adrien Broner was trying to win a championship in the third division. The fight was close, but Broner was able to outlast Paulie Malignaggi and win the WBA welterweight title.
At the age of 23, Adrien Broner was on the fast track to stardom. However, six months after the fight with Malignaggi, Broner entered the ring for the 28th time, and when he left the ring, he was a changed man.
While building up to his fight with Marcos Maidana, Adrien Broner was talking trash and doing his usual comedic antics. Broner was extremely confident as he entered the bout as a 5-to-1 betting favorite.
As soon as the bell rang for the opening round, Maidana rocked Broner when he landed a big left hook. Maidana continued to pummel Broner with a flurry of punches in the first round.
At the 2:40 mark of round 2, Maidana landed a big left hook that sent Broner down to the canvas. Broner was able to get up, but Maidana continued his brutal attack.
From the 3rd to the 7th round, Maidana dictated the pace of the fight. With 1:29 left in the eighth round, Maidana knocked Broner down for the second time when he connected with another left hook.
For the rest of the match, Maidana continued to frustrate Broner with his work rate. At the end of the 12-round world title contest, Marcos Maidana won by unanimous decision.
After the Maidana tournament, Broner was not the same fighter. The loss changed Broner’s fighting style as he began to doubt himself. Broner continued to drop in weight and rebounded by winning three fights in a row.
Next, Broner faced Shawn Porter at 144 pounds. Once again in a great fight, Broner lost on the scorecards.
Broner decided to move down to 140 as he defeated Khabib Allakhverdiev and won the vacant WBA super-lightweight title. AB won two more fights, then lost another big fight against Mike Garcia.
AB had his last fight against an elite fighter back in January 2019 when he was defeated by Manny Pacquiao. Five years later, Broner made his last appearance in the ring, and it didn’t go well, as Blair Cobbs defeated him by unanimous decision.
Adrien Broner (35-5-1, 24 KOs) is a four-division world champion, but the fight with Marcos Maidana changed his career so much that if that fight had never happened, AB would have become even more legendary.
Prior to the Maidana fight, AB was a skilled pressure fighter with combinations. After the Maidana fight, Broner was a passive fighter who seemed cautious and reluctant to throw punches because he was worried about being counted out.
Currently, Adrien Broner has found success in the broadcast world by partnering with Misfits boxer Deen the Great. 36-year-old Adrien Broner’s boxing career is in the news right now, but there are rumors that he may return to the ring to face Chris Eubank Jr.
