A fired-up welterweight Adrien Broner passionately addressed those who had left him in the past then singled out his current promoter, Don King, as the only one willing to help him secure fights.
Broner returns after nearly a year-long layoff to face Blair Cobbs, an eccentric welterweight contender, on Friday taking place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood.
Broner (35-4-1, 24 KOs), 34, arrived late to the press conference, expressing his frustration and grievances toward Cobbs (16-1-1, 10 KOs). Usually humorous, Broner was livid with Cobbs, also 34, strongly advising him not to trash-talk during the press conference. His fiery words directed at Cobbs soon shifted to self-reflection as Broner shared his thoughts on his current position in the sport.
“A lot of people have turned their back on me and shut their doors on me,” Broner said at Tuesday’s press conference. “What I once thought was a revolving door became a door that didn’t have an entrance from the back. So I had to just keep coming in the front.
“There was only one man that took a chance on me, and even today, he held on long enough and I showed up, and that is Don King,” Broner added. “And like he has been doing, the door stayed open and I came in, and now I am here.”
The bout is viewed as a must-win for Broner at this point in his career. A loss would further distance him from his goal of becoming a titleholder again. Broner, who has won belts in four divisions, is now training with Calvin Ford and Kenny Ellis in Las Vegas. Cobbs is also training in Sin City.
Although Broner had been cordial with Cobbs in the build-up to the fight, even joking with him during the media workout last week, he was far from friendly at the press conference, emphasizing the seriousness with which he is approaching the fight.
“I am really coming to die in that ring, bro,” said Broner. “If you are not willing to die, then I don’t want to hear all that talking. All that playing and jokes, I am not playing.”
Broner, once lauded as a future Hall of Famer, lost his way in recent years. His last world-class win came in February 2017 against Adrian Granados. Since then, he has lost to Mikey Garcia and Manny Pacquiao, had a draw with Jessie Vargas – lucrative opportunities that suggest the door was open for a long time – then delivered a lackluster performance against Jovanie Santiago despite winning a unanimous decision. His most recent win last year over Bill Hutchinson was his best performance in years, but Hutchinson had not competed at the world level.
Broner seems to be aware that plenty are writing him off.
“He is nowhere near my level,” said Broner of Cobbs. “I am going to show you that I am still him. I am not regular, I am one of the special ones, and that is why I left a mark in this boxing game.”
Read the full article here
