Kevin H. (Atlanta, GA): As an Adrien Broner fan, I think his loss to Porter was more of what he didn’t do than what Porter did. How did you rate his performance and where do you think he goes next?
Vivek W. (ESB): I would have to totally disagree. To the contrary, I think what we witnessed last Saturday night had everything to do with what Porter did, more so than what Broner “didn’t do”. Going into the fight, Porter had the entire deck of cards stacked against him. Everything from the catchweight clause, to the pulse of the promotion itself. It just seemed that all elements involved tilted towards Broner. Few places in life breed absolute truth like a boxing ring. In dialog, any man can speak big and paint a scripted picture. But in the ring, there’s no way to avoid the evolution of reality.
For Broner, the reality was perhaps a very painful one, for both he as the fighter, as well as the many fans who wanted to see him win. In a personal declaration, I can say publicly that going into the fight, although I have nothing against Porter, I supported a Broner victory. That being said, I also pointed out that despite him being the better talent, this was not a fight I expected him to win. I’ve always felt Broner was a very talented fighter, and I wanted to believe that he had grown beyond the limitations that left him humbled against Maidana. Sadly, we learned that such an evolution remains an arrested development, as he has yet to turn the corner on those things that keep him grounded.
We have to give Porter full credit for a hard fought victory. From day one of training camp, he handled this affair like a true professional. Both men suffered defeat against their respective opponents recently (Brook and Maidana). The difference? Porter honed and in and challenged himself to elevate his game. Broner followed up with more of the same. It’s actually a little embarrassing at this stage. In sheer moments of desperation, we saw flashes of greatness, buried beneath a steel-plated facade. If Broner was as deft at applying his skills in the ring as he is at talking smack outside of it, he’d be in a class of his own.
Sadly, he has quickly transitioned from the position of a top young gun in the sport to a ‘Mayorga’ like status, using insults outside the ring to cover up for limited results inside of it. Can he elevate himself to the next level? Very good question, but the depth of his issues seem to be getting worse. After the Maidana loss, he fled the ring, badly broken. In this loss, he was bold enough to insult his opponent, and disrespect his woman for good measure. It’s a sad saga. He has already seen his fight purse totals decline. That’s a major sign that he’s running out of time. Sadly for him, there’s no way to ‘clinch’ til the final bell in that battle. Stay tuned.
Richard D. (Dallas, TX): Paulie Malignaggi is scheduled to take on Danny Garcia in August. How do you think this one plays out on fight night?
Vivek W. (ESB): I think Danny Garcia has his hands full. To be very honest, in the aftermath of his Matthysse performance, I think Danny Garcia has underachieved. I’ve reached a point where I totally question his true worth. I like his talent, and I think he’s good for the sport. But just taking things for what they are and calling a spade a spade, he truly has left a sour taste in the mouth of many fans on the strength of inconsistencies, and a string of questionable victories.
It’s very possible that a critic could argue with great success that he failed to truly beat both Mauricio Herrera, as well as Lamont Peterson. After beating Matthysse, those are two men he should not have struggled with. Paulie Malignaggi can’t hurt him, but I would be the first to say that he can absolutely outbox him. He won’t stop Malignaggi with that patented left hook. To be quite frank, I don’t even know if he lands it! Paulie will make him think, and will challenge him in every sense of the word.
I used to strike back at fans who felt that Garcia was “protected”. As I look at his body of work in this post Matthysse era, I think a careful analysis proves that he has in fact escaped any true danger. Malignaggi can outbox him, but he can’t hurt him. Peterson could hurt him, but doesn’t possess the killer instinct required to act on the facial damage he laid upon him. I want to be careful that I don’t give the impression that he isn’t a solid fighter, because he is. But truthfully, Garcia is not quite living up to the expectation many of us had, and a guy like Malignaggi could very well expose this reality. I’ll be watching closely, as anything can happen in this one once the bell rings. Stay tuned.
Paul C. (Lake Mary, FL): Andre Ward got mixed reviews on his return to the ring. Do you think he can still perform at the level we saw him at prior to the layoff?
Vivek W. (ESB): I can’t speak for the next man, but I thought Ward performed very well for a guy coming in off a near two-year layoff. Many fans have placed Ward in the proverbial ‘doghouse’ based on his time away from the ring, but I would caution each of them to look at the facts. It wasn’t a situation, similar to what we saw with Bradley a few years ago where he sat out for his own reasoning. There was a legitimate injury, followed by a legitimate contractual struggle. During that time frame he was open to fighting, but the stalemate was a bit too deep for that possibility to materialize.
At any rate, he could have taken the route of many others by facing an opponent that he could have stopped in two or three rounds. He didn’t do that. He chose an opponent who he was a clear favorite to beat, but it was an opponent who also possessed enough toughness to get him some well needed rounds to shake the rust. I thought he fought very controlled, very poised, and in the same cerebral way that made him the Champion he is. One thing for sure, we know that he won’t take the easy road once he regains form. For me, that’s comforting enough.
If he’s still fighting the Paul Smith’s of the world in 2 or 3 fights down the road, we have a problem. But for now, I have no issue with him doing what he needs to do to regain form. There isn’t much left to conquer at super-middleweight, but the same can be said for the man most want to see him face that resides 8lbs lower. Hopefully, we get some of these bouts soon to answer all questions and remove all doubts.
(Vivek “Vito” Wallace can be reached at 754.307.7747. He can also be heard on Left-Hook Lounge Radio every Tuesday night, or reached at Twitter (@lefthooklounge1), IG (ViveksView), and Facebook).
