Trainer Stephen Edwards feels it’s not wise for Adrien Broner to go all-out slugging with Blair Cobbs tonight in their welterweight clash on Triller PPV at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
(Photo Credit “Don King Productions | David Martin Warr)
Stephen has worked with Cobbs (16-1-1, 10 KOs) before and knows what kind of power he has. He thinks the former four-division Broner (35-4-1, 24 KOs) should box in the first half and then work the body of the 34-year-old Cobbs in the second part of the fight.
Edwards notes that Broner is long past the prime portion of his career in 2012 and 2013. He was fighting at super featherweight and lightweight back then, and he’s not a natural welterweight. Although Broner moved up in weight to 147 a decade ago, his power didn’t carry up.
Broner’s Path to Victory
“If Broner feels it, he may not want to go balls to the ball because I’m telling you, the dude can crack,” said trainer Stephen Edwards to MillCity Boxing, talking about Blair Cobbs being a dangerous puncher for Adrien Broner to be trading with in their welterweight fight tonight in Triller PPV in Hollywood, Florida.
Broner is normally throwing single arm punches, making a lot of noise, and getting outworked. That’s probably not going to change for this fight. He’s always fought that way, and he’s not going to change now.
“I think that’s Broner’s best chance. Parry him fast, and get him to the second part of the fight and go to his body. I think Broner has got a chance then,” said Stephen on what Broner must do to defeat Cobbs.
“The first part of this fight, he’s going to be dealing with a lot of electricity. I’m telling you. Blair is going to be launching it. To me, that’s a really close fight. Really close to 50-50,” said Stephen about the Broner vs. Cobbs.
Broner will be covering up if Cobbs shells him early, and he won’t let him tee off unless he gets in close and clubs him nonstop the way Marcos Maidana did a decade ago.
“I haven’t seen them fight in so long that I don’t know what we’re getting. I haven’t seen Broner fight in five years, and I haven’t been around Blair since he moved out of Philly and went to LA or Vegas. I really don’t know what we’re getting,” said Stephen.
You can’t blame Stephen for not keeping up with Broner and Cobbs because their fights have gone under the radar for many fans. Neither of them fights often, and when they do, it’s not on the major networks.
“For best day, Broner is the more accomplished fighter, but we don’t know. When was Broner’s peak, 2013, 2012? We don’t know. I have no idea. People keep asking me, but I don’t know what we’re going to get,” said Edwards.
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