By John-Paul Wolfe
When developing a young, ultra-talented fighter, the likes of Adrien Broner, match making is a key element which can make or break a career. Throw a guy to wolves, and even if he makes it out unbeaten, he may not have developed championship level confidence, or had the chance to showcase his skills in a way that would excite the boxing public while steadily growing a fan base.
At the age of 23, Broner is very young by boxing standards and appears to have a long, successful and lucrative career ahead of him. To this point, the team around Broner has handled his career expertly. Broner has been tested against tough lightweights with recognizable names such as Ponce De Leon, Vincente Escobedo and Antonio Demarco while being able to demonstrate his incredible athletic gifts that are rarely seen in boxing.
In Paulie Malignaggi, Broner’s team has selected the perfect opponent for his upcoming fight on June 22nd at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. For this fight, Adrien will be skipping over the 140 pound weight class and challenging Malignaggi for his WBA welterweight title at 147lbs. In Malignaggi, Adrien Broner gets a shot at a title in one of boxing’s richest and most talent filled divisions, and although Paulie is a highly skilled fighter riding a five fight win streak, he does not posses the punching power to keep Broner off of him.
Most believe Paulie is overmatched against the lightning speed and solid power of the undefeated challenger. Paulie will do a great job promoting this fight and certainly bring in home town ticket sales, as he is a native of Brooklyn. Some have been critical of Broner’s decision to skip over 140lb division, pointing to possible matchups against Amir Khan, who is looking to get his career back on track and others in what is arguably the most stacked weight class in boxing. Yes, there are competitive and intriguing matchups for Broner at 140, but at this stage of his career, there is no need to go after the most difficult and dangerous opponents available.
Following the Malignaggi fight, Broner could, and should test the waters at 140 while building his career to superstar status. For now Broner needs to be moved along against solid competition that puts the spot light on him, while allowing his undeniable and uncommon skill and athleticism to be the focus of the show. If he and his team continue to steadily move along his career with creative and intelligent match making, as they have done with the Malignaggi fight, the future looks very bright for Cincinnati’s best, Adrien ‘The Problem’ Broner.
