Adrien Broner

Adrien Jerome Broner (; born July 28, 1989) is an American former professional boxer. He won world championships in four weight classes including the World Boxing Organization (WBO) super featherweight title from 2011 to 2012, the World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight title from 2012 to 2013, the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight title in 2013, and the WBA super lightweight title from 2015 to 2016.

Early life

Broner grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and started boxing at the age of six. He has said that the sport saved him from a life on the streets.

Amateur career

Broner finished his amateur career having 319 fights under his belt, with a record of 300 wins, 19 losses.

Professional career

Super featherweight

Early career

Broner turned professional on May 31, 2008, and scored three consecutive first-round knockouts against Allante Davis, David Warren Huffman and Ramon Flores. In Broner's fourth fight he faced Terrance Jett at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on the undercard of the Ricky Hatton vs Paulie Malignaggi fight. Broner defeated Jett with a stoppage in the sixth round. In Broner's fifth professional fight and final of 2008, he faced Eric Ricker; the bout ended in with a no-contest decision.

In January 2009, he was forced to go the distance with Jose Alfredo Lugo, at the Staples Center on the undercard of Shane Mosley vs Antonio Margarito. Broner returned to the ring in March scoring a unanimous decision over Eric Ricker. Three weeks later Broner stopped Angel Rodriguez in the fourth round. In his eighth fight Broner stepped up to eight rounds in a hard-fought fight with Fernando Quintero, pulling out a controversial majority decision victory in a fight that Quintero took on 4 days' notice. In June at the Staples Center Broner met Australian William Kickett, scoring a sixth-round knockout. On the Juan Díaz vs Paul Malignaggi undercard in Houston Broner made short work of Edgar Portillo, victory coming via stoppage in the first round. Broner defeated Henry White Jr via KO in September and finished his busy year against Tommy Atencio. Broner stopped Atencio in the first round, for the sixth time in thirteen fights. In 2010, Broner engaged in four more fights with Rafael Lora, Carlos Claudio, Guillermo Sanchez, and Ilido Julio, stopping them all.

Broner vs. Ponce De León

Broner took his first major step up in weight when he competed against former Super Bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce de León on March 5, 2011. In a very closely contested fight, Broner came away with a controversial unanimous decision victory. Broner got off to a slow start, having trouble penetrating De Leon's high guard. Broner came on strong in the fourth, hurting De Leon with a body shot. Broner slowed down in the middle and later rounds, though landed the cleaner shots, while De Leon proved to be the busier fighter. CompuBox had Broner landing 126 of his 351 (36%) of his total punches, while De Leon landed 127 of his 592 (21%) punches. Harold Lederman scored the fight: 96–94, in Ponce De Leon's favour.

Broner vs. Litzau

Broner's next fight was on HBO's Boxing After Dark show from Guadalajara, Mexico, Broner took on Top 10 Super Featherweight contender Jason Litzau in a fight scheduled for ten rounds. Broner landed combos on the ropes late in the first, with a straight right, left hook and then a right uppercut hurting the Minnesotan badly. He crumpled, and the ref leaped in, seeing he was out. The official end came at 2:58 of the first round.

Broner vs. Rodríguez

After having no luck in securing a fight with Ricky Burns, the former WBO super featherweight champion, to fight him on November 26, 2011, Broner fought contender Vicente Martin Rodriguez on the undercard of the Canelo Álvarez vs. Kermit Cintrón fight card on HBO as part of a double header. He defeated Rodriguez by knockout in the third round, to win the vacant WBO Super Featherweight World title.

Broner made a successful first defense of his WBO belt against Top 10 Super Featherweight contender and mandatory challenger Eloy Pérez on a February 25, 2012, HBO-televised card. With a knockout victory. Broner controlled the pace and action from start to finish, beating Perez to the punch and walking him down with ease. The fight ended when Broner landed a straight hand on Perez, followed by another right hand as Perez was going down.

Broner's next scheduled fight was to be on July 21, 2012, at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, against Super Featherweight contender Vicente Escobedo. However, at weigh-in for the fight on July 20, Broner was 133+1⁄2 pounds, well over the 130-pound limit for the Super Featherweight class, and was automatically stripped of his title. The fight went on as scheduled and Broner won by 5th-round TKO when Escobedo's corner threw in the towel.

Lightweight

Broner vs. DeMarco

Broner's next fight was scheduled for November 17, 2012, in Atlantic City at Boardwalk Hall, and was aired on HBO. The fight marked Broner's debut in the Lightweight division. The opponent was the WBC Lightweight champion and Ring No. 1-ranked Lightweight, Antonio DeMarco. Broner started the fight off boxing DeMarco, working behind his jab and using his shoulder roll defense to frustrate DeMarco. In the early rounds, Broner was able to hit DeMarco with his quick counter left hook several times. By the 4th round, Broner and DeMarco decided to stand toe-to-toe in the center of the ring and trade punches. It was Broner who got the better of the inside fight though, with his speed and quick combination punching taking its toll on DeMarco. By the 6th round, DeMarco was cut and his face was swollen in several places while still standing toe-to-toe with Broner, with Broner barely missing his right uppercuts and working the body of DeMarco as well. Then, in the 8th round, Broner opened up another fast combination which hurt DeMarco and then a swinging left uppercut sent DeMarco to the canvas for the first time in his professional career. DeMarco's corner stopped the fight right after the knockdown, giving Broner his second world title in as many weight classes. CompuBox had Broner landing 241 of his 451 total punches. After the fight, Broner said he'd be interested in fighting Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Márquez and current WBO Lightweight champion Ricky Burns.

Broner vs. Rees

Broner was set to make his first title defense on February 16, 2013, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Having no luck at getting fellow Lightweight champion Ricky Burns to fight him in February, Broner fought Ring No. 6-ranked lightweight and former WBA champion Gavin Rees (37-1-1, 18 KOs) instead. The fight was announced in December 2012, with many believing it to be a mismatch, to take place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. There was a crowd of 4,812 at Boardwalk Hall and both Broner and Rees weighed 150 pounds in their dressing rooms before the fight. Broner stopped Rees in five rounds, after Rees' corner threw in the towel at the end of the round. Rees had some success early, when Broner was clowning and showboating, landing jabs and body shots. By round 3, Broner was in complete control, hitting Rees with his counter left hook at will, as well as hitting Rees at will on the inside. In the 4th round, Broner sent Rees to the canvas with a quick right uppercut, and landed more combinations as the round ended. In the 5th, after a brief clinch between the two, they separated and Broner landed a hard left body shot on Rees, dropping Rees to a knee. Broner ended the round teeing off on Rees, with Rees' trainer throwing in the towel from the corner. CompuBox had Broner landing 48% of his punches in the fight, as well as ending the fight landing 40 of 57 in the final round.

Welterweight

Broner vs. Malignaggi

After failing to secure a fight with fellow lightweight champion Ricky Burns, Broner decided to move up two weight classes to welterweight in order to fight two division champion Paulie Malignaggi. Malignaggi was the WBA regular welterweight champion and The Ring No. 6 ranked welterweight. On March 10, 2013, the fight was made official. Richard Schaefer confirmed the fight would take place on June 22 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Broner, Golden Boy and Al Haymon drew criticism for not fighting lightweights Burns or Miguel Vazquez and then skipping the light welterweight division, where Danny Garcia, Lucas Matthysse, and Lamont Peterson are also under the Golden Boy.