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“World’s Greatest Boxing Promoter, Don King,” said a press release released Thursday, “signs exciting Superstar Bad Boy Of Boxing, Adrien Broner; Four times world champion ready to go back to work. (sic)
In fact, it’s quite a pairing. One of the most famous promoters in boxing’s recent past aligning himself with one of the most popular stars in the industry will always make headlines. That’s why you can expect a lot of ink to be used to discuss the newly announced deal between promoter Don King and former world titlist Adrien Broner. In truth, both men’s careers have significantly declined in recent years and are in need of rejuvenation. If nothing else, this surprise partnership will present these two colorful characters with quite a bit of media and online attention.
About a decade ago, Broner was literally seen as the heir to the throne occupied at the time by the legendary Floyd Mayweather. He was undefeated, talented and—perhaps most significantly—infamous. Here is a man whose antics outside the ring have overshadowed his remarkable achievements as a fighter. The party pretty much came to a close in late 2013 when Broner was defeated in a grueling contest by Marcos Maidana. Broner has certainly fought his share of notable opponents since that time, but has proven incapable of beating any of them. Manny Pacquiao, Shawn Porter and Mikey Garcia have all met and defeated the fighter known as “The Problem”.
King, of course, needs no introduction. Since the early 1970s the man has been practically one of the most colorful figures in all of boxing. Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson and who knows how many others have all fought under the banner of Don King. Suffice it to say, King had a long-standing reputation — fair or not — of being a con man who repeatedly kept money away from fighters who were rightfully earning it.
With that in mind, it’s yet to be determined how well King and Broner will serve each other’s purposes. The internet has already started rolling its eyes at pairings, but you never know when it comes to the sweet science. Broner is still quite young, after all. Maybe King will lead the Cincinnati native to the top of the boxing pile. It’s understandable why some would be skeptical, however. Neither King nor Broner have been a real force for some time. But, again, this is boxing, a business always full of surprises.
