The Cintas Center in Cincinnati, Ohio plays host to a Showtime tripleheader themed with back to the wall urgency fights. Familiar foes in Adrien Broner and Adrian Granados meet in the main event that won’t lack drama. Lamont Peterson returns off a lengthy layoff to face David Avanesyan for his 147-pound WBA trinket. The opener should produce energy in the crowd in a bout between light heavyweight contenders Marcus Browne and Thomas Williams Jr.
The battle of Adrien’s should make for a good television fight and if Broner isn’t on his game he could get beat.
The pair of pugilists shared a ring with one another on many occasions during their sparring sessions. Both men admit it was a back and forth affair to the point that Granados bloodied Broner’s nose and in the process earned respect.
Clearly, Granados has holes in his game large enough for Broner to exploit hence the 3 ½ to 1 favorite heading in Saturday’s showdown. One thing that no one should do is underestimate Adrian’s will power. Instead of grazing by his mediocre boxing record try focusing on who he fought. His upset of hot prospect Amir Imam shouldn’t be overlooked, Imam was a big puncher who like to methodically walk his man down similar to ‘AB’.
Another bout to analyze of Granados is his close decision loss to gold medalist Felix Diaz. Things were tough for the Cuban Olympian in the early to mid rounds until making a few adjustments which led to a knockdown and ultimately a victory. Granados is a tough customer who won’t allow adversity to slow him down.
For a guy that supposedly turned a new leaf, Broner once again plays the part of a drama queen by changing the weight from 142 to 147. Was he sick? Was he too husky heading into camp or has he been training diligently an unable to make 140 anymore? Who knows and/or who cares outside of his fanboy club and of course the other Adrian, who will likely be at a disadvantage at full-blown welterweight.
Some fans wouldn’t put it passed Broner to think it’s as simple as playing mind games. Broner knows his opponent is tough so why not be a diva to ensure a size advantage. This scribe will take a stab in the dark by saying he could make the 140-pound limit if only he had better in-between-fight habits that seem to haunt him time and time again.
If we do get an in-shape version of Broner, he should be able to win convincingly once he finds range. Of course the tricky part is getting to that point while having to shake of the rust of inactivity. Granados may be somewhat crude but does have some solid basic fundamentals. A jab for one is something many overlook in Adrian’s toolbox. If Granados can’t make Broner hesitate, even slightly, it allows him to close the gap or at least set up his power shots. Granados by no means is known for defense but if Broner leaves his jab out their too long, look for the Chicago native to duck down and counter back with overhand rights.
Granados has tasted the canvas a total of six times so it’s safe to assume he will visit the mat at some point, possibly multiple times. That won’t necessarily mean Broner will be out of the woods because the Mexican-American thrives on those situations and has shown he can rally back even stronger. With a stiff active jab paired with overall busy work rate, Granados best hope may be to summon the ghost of a poor man’s version of Marcos Madiana.
Broner will either look to walk his man down per-usual and in the process take Granados best shots while finding his openings – or pot shot his way to a hit and hold victory. My guess is he will be put on a show for the hometown fans meaning the main course should to be an interesting and compelling two-way scrap until Broner gives us a taste of why they call him ‘The Problem’. The cleaner shots will prevail but not without a good night of action had by all.
My Official Prediction is Adrien Broner by Unanimous Decision.
Side Note: Don’t forget to tune into the other two fights on this Showtime Triple Play that calls for a return of Lamont Peterson challenging a hard-nosed tank in David Avanesyan. The winner will be in line for a mando position against Thurman or Garcia. The broadcast should get off to a bang with a crossroads bout between Marcus Browne and Thomas Williams Jr. We know what Top Dog Williams Jr. brings to the table when the going gets tough let’s find out if Browne will respond.
Written by Chris Carlson Host of the Rope A Dope Radio Podcast available at blogtalkradio.com/ropeadoperadio or Subscribe on iTunes. Visit The Rope A Dope Report YouTube Channel & Follow on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio
