Adrien Broner, 33, embarks on improbable comeback Friday night
It would be one of the most notable comebacks in boxing history.
Adrien Broner appeared to be on his way to superstardom about a decade ago, winning major world titles in four divisions in his first 27 fights. “The Problem” was brash and had the ability to back it up.
Then it all fell apart.
He was beat up and outpointed by Marcos Maidana in December 2013, which cost him his newly won 147-pound title and all of his momentum. He was never the same after that.
He would go on to suffer one-sided losses to Shawn Porter, Mikey Garcia and Manny Pacquiao and unravel outside the ring, where he had multiple brushes with the law, made cries for help and faded out of our consciousness.
Now, at 33 and about 2½ years removed from the ring, Broner is attempting to regain lost glory. He faces licensed attorney and professional boxer Bill Hutchinson in a scheduled 10-round welterweight bout on pay-per-view Friday in Miami.
And he has been guided by another boxing figure who no longer commands the attention he once did, promoter Don King.
“The real problem is they let Adrien Broner and Don King get together,” said Broner, who is 1-2-1 in his last four fights. “… I can tell you right now, I am not looking past this man, but I can tell you this: Adrien Broner will become world champion again. And it will be under Don King.
“There are bigger things to come, but the first is to take care of Billy.”
Broner (34-4-1, 24 KOs) deserves credit for self-deprecation, which has injected an element of humor into the promotion.
King demonstrated that he could still deliver a clever line at 91 when he assessed Broner’s chances of beating Hutchinson, who reportedly is licensed to practice law in both Pennsylvania and Florida. Said King: “Dealing with lawyers is Broner’s forte.”
Broner has bought into that tongue-in-cheek theme.
“Usually when people see Adrien Broner, there is usually something messed up coming behind him,” he said. “So after I mess you (Hutchinson) up I’m going to hire you because I can always use a good lawyer. Now that I know you’re a fighter, I know you will fight for me, in the courtroom.”
The fight is no laughing matter for Hutchinson (20-2-4, 9 KOs).
The Pittsburgh resident evidently is a decent technical boxer who hasn’t lost a fight since 2016, but he has beaten only fellow journeymen. Still, winning consistently can breed confidence. Hutchison seems to genuinely believe Broner is in for a surprise.
“As previously stated, I am a licensed attorney,” he said. “However, first and foremost, I am a fighter, and Adrien Broner is going to see that Friday night, and he’s going to have his hands full.
“So I appreciate the offer for some work after the fight, and we can talk about that after, but make no mistake: I am going to do everything in the ring to take his head clean off his shoulders.”
Of course, Hutchinson was hired to lose and probably will do so. Then it would be on to bigger and better things for Broner, who will most likely campaign at 140 pounds.
He plans to remind fans of what he once brought to the ring, starting Friday.
“I wouldn’t say this is a new beginning,” he said. “I would say I am just going to reclaim something I already had. If I hit it once, I know I can hit it again.
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