I'm going to be positive about Broner

[Beanflicker]

Obviously Broner has been picked to death by fans, and rightfully so, because when you boast so much and put yourself up on such a high pedistal, when you eventually fall you crash hard. So I have no sympathy for Broner.

It was an embarrassing, humbling night for Broner, but I think there are some things that he can be applauded for.

1. Broner is DURABLE. He got smashed on the chin flush, dropped early, dropped late, and got off the deck and fought on. He also took an INCREDIBLE number of body shots from a brutal puncher, and it didn't seem to slow him down much: he was still fighting strong until the final bell.

2. Broner is CALM AND COMPOSED UNDER PRESSURE. He got hurt bad several times, but kept his composure and managed to ride out the storm, even trying to counter punch to keep Maidana at bay.

I think these two things are very important. Styles, tactics and techniques (his deficiency lost him the fight) can be changed and/or improved upon. If you can't take a punch, if you're not durable, if you can't will yourself to get up and fight on while you're hurt, that's something that isn't going to change.

Guys like Broner are great for boxing. Whether you love or hate a guy, if he can make people have a strong opinion about him and an interest in the outcome of his fights, then he's doing something right.

Broner is a highly skilled, athletically gifted, EXCITING fighter who plays the villain very well. I hope he makes the necessary adjustments and comes back stronger.

[imp]

Well said.

We look forward to his return but the big question is at what weight?

Im sure he hurt maidana with a body shot at some point in the fight but maidana did tire at the end.

I would like to see broner avenge his loss at some point and not go down the khan route.

[TitoFan]

Obviously Broner has been picked to death by fans, and rightfully so, because when you boast so much and put yourself up on such a high pedistal, when you eventually fall you crash hard. So I have no sympathy for Broner.

It was an embarrassing, humbling night for Broner, but I think there are some things that he can be applauded for.

1. Broner is DURABLE. He got smashed on the chin flush, dropped early, dropped late, and got off the deck and fought on. He also took an INCREDIBLE number of body shots from a brutal puncher, and it didn't seem to slow him down much: he was still fighting strong until the final bell.

2. Broner is CALM AND COMPOSED UNDER PRESSURE. He got hurt bad several times, but kept his composure and managed to ride out the storm, even trying to counter punch to keep Maidana at bay.

I think these two things are very important. Styles, tactics and techniques (his deficiency lost him the fight) can be changed and/or improved upon. If you can't take a punch, if you're not durable, if you can't will yourself to get up and fight on while you're hurt, that's something that isn't going to change.

Guys like Broner are great for boxing. Whether you love or hate a guy, if he can make people have a strong opinion about him and an interest in the outcome of his fights, then he's doing something right.

Broner is a highly skilled, athletically gifted, EXCITING fighter who plays the villain very well. I hope he makes the necessary adjustments and comes back stronger.

You make some very good points. The "calm and composed under pressure" part I might have a bit of an issue with. Having a delayed reaction to a light headbutt, and dropping to the canvas in a shameful attempt at winning by DQ isn't exactly what I would call "composed". But I get what you mean. He gained back some points toward the end of the bout, when he managed to make a decent fight out of it. But one thing's clear: Broner needs to mature at warp speed. I'm surprised he didn't get admonished or fined by his ridiculous humping of Maidana on national television. Exciting and fun to watch? Sure. But for time being, 99.9% of those watching are hoping for a Maidana rerun.

[zhubin]

I disliked him before the fight...and i disliked him even more after the fight. He did so many things in this fight that where negative (the humping, the INSANE reaction to the headbutt, berating his corner, running out of the ring like a coward)...that i really can't give him props for just being "durable." He has MAJOR flaws in his game that where brushed aside because he was picking on smaller guys. Not sure how much of being an absolute asshole is good for boxing. Floyd is excessive sure...but Floyd is first and foremost a tremendous fighter. He paid his dues before he became "Money"...and even now...his craft is of utmost importance to him. Broner was trying to do a reverse Floyd....be brash without any of the foundation. That is why i think it will be hard for him to come back at a truly high level.

[Beanflicker]

You make some very good points. The "calm and composed under pressure" part I might have a bit of an issue with. Having a delayed reaction to a light headbutt, and dropping to the canvas in a shameful attempt at winning by DQ isn't exactly what I would call "composed".

He was getting beat up and was milking for the point deduction. Not the most honorable thing, but nothing a lot of masters haven't done before (Bhop comes to mind).

[TitoFan]

You make some very good points. The "calm and composed under pressure" part I might have a bit of an issue with. Having a delayed reaction to a light headbutt, and dropping to the canvas in a shameful attempt at winning by DQ isn't exactly what I would call "composed".

He was getting beat up and was milking for the point deduction. Not the most honorable thing, but nothing a lot of masters haven't done before (Bhop comes to mind).

Well hell.... at least make it credible next time.

It was like... "Hey! I got headbutted. A way out! Now where's a soft spot to land?"

[TitoFan]

Seriously. Broner got booed and razzed all the way back to his dressing room. Imagine what the fan reaction would've been like had Maidana been DQ'ed by the ref.

[FinitoElDinamita]

He has a lame persona but I respect him as a fighter. He showed heart..

Remember when a young cotto got tested by ndou who didnt hit half as hard as maidana? He got on that bike instead of fighting..

Broner has potential. He just needs to fibd his own identity as a fighter....

[Spicoli]

I've been ragging the dude since he was being knocked around and scraping by on a FNF. I know, he's an easy mark but he's earned it. I can say yes, he's durable. Although he went Luis Santana on the canvas and looked pitiful, he did hang in and carry on the fight. That's respectable. For his own sake...forget boxing...I hope he takes a long hard look inside of his chest and open his mind. He's young, he does have time. But he needs a complete retooling and I think calling him highly skilled, a future great like fighter etc is a massive stretch. He makes a MANY mistakes and has shown little respect or acknowledgment to even his corner in listening...learning!

[Beanflicker]

Well hell.... at least make it credible next time.

It was like... "Hey! I got headbutted. A way out! Now where's a soft spot to land?"

It reminded me of one of those pro wrestling blooper videos on youtube where one wrestler throws a punch that clearly misses by a mile and the other wrestler still sells it and falls like he got punched by Joe Louis.

I think Broner was hoping the headbutt looked worse than it was and he could get some sympathy, when in reality he just looked like an idiot.

[Beanflicker]

But he needs a complete retooling and I think calling him highly skilled, a future great like fighter etc is a massive stretch. He makes a MANY mistakes and has shown little respect or acknowledgment to even his corner in listening...learning!

I don't think we're talking about a complete retooling. He needs to make some changes for sure, but it's not like the guy's a bum - he has an incredible amount of boxing skill and physical gifts for such a young guy.

I didn't see him make a ton of mistakes, I think the big ones (inactivity, giving away rounds, being too stationary) are very fixable.

[Max Power]

I think Broner will be back and move on to be great still.

I'm virtually certain he will receive some coaching from his big bro's team and might even be adopted.

Good thread, I was wondering when the bash session would die down for a fairer shake.

Can't say he didn't have it coming though.

The bigger question really is "Will he be more humbled now, or still a pompous ass?"

[Spicoli]

But he needs a complete retooling and I think calling him highly skilled, a future great like fighter etc is a massive stretch. He makes a MANY mistakes and has shown little respect or acknowledgment to even his corner in listening...learning!

I don't think we're talking about a complete retooling. He needs to make some changes for sure, but it's not like the guy's a bum - he has an incredible amount of boxing skill and physical gifts for such a young guy.

I didn't see him make a ton of mistakes, I think the big ones (inactivity, giving away rounds, being too stationary) are very fixable.

Oh no, he's certainly not a bum. The retooling he needs starts with him, approach, attitude, and checking himself. His attitude translates directly to how he fights in the ring...like he can't be touched and walks on water. You nailed it Bean..stationary..IF he finally shows a know how with the backfoot, a menatlity to move off and walk a guy into combinations off a fast jab..get away from that disaster "horse shoe" stance and wide feet that don't do enough work for him. Standing in there...head up grinning and shielding with that shoulder, walking in....thats not going to cut it man. His feet get flat and he defends with twisting, turning and pulls straight back. He gets touched alot. Paulie showed him in a fight he could stand it. Broner says he choose to take it, it was nothing and same with Reese. That has to be the dumbest shate I've heard. Those are mistakes you fix in fights where its doesn't get you torched, when you get into a fire fight on a top level he is left learning 'on the job'. You can't go backwards. No...learn man! Showing he is so durable can be a bad thing for a guy who is convinced he is something..or someone he is not.

[Beanflicker]

Yeah his attitude needs a complete re-tooling.

Floyd said something interesting about Broner; that he needs to know when to turn the arrogance on and off (I think Bernard said the same thing).

It's great to put on the cocky, brash persona when the cameras are on. But you need to be humble when the cameras are off to realize that you're not god's gift to boxing and you can always improve. Floyd has never stopped improving and refining his style, which is why IMO he is the greatest in-ring talent since SRR.

To me, the fact that Broner fought the same way even though Gavin Rees and Malignaggi gave him some trouble suggests that he's too thick-headed to admit he needs to make adjustments, or maybe he has too many "Yes"-men hanging off his nuts.

Hopefully having his shit pushed in by Maidana has humbled him to the point where he can make the necessary adjustments and become something more to boxing than another Andre Berto.

[Beanflicker]

Another positive I'm going to bring up is the fact that Broner chose Maidana personally to fight.

Mayweather recently revealed that Broner's management hand-picked Malignaggi because he had no punching power and wasn't seen as a threat. But because people were slamming Broner for fighting guys with no power, he went out and chose Maidana himself, against his management's wishes.

I think that deserves a thumbs up. The fans called him out and he answered the criticism by finding one of the biggest bangers in boxing.

Didn't work out for him obviously, but we should respect him for having the balls to go against his management and fight a real dangerous guy.