AB being AB: Adrien Broner outlandish, open, passionate
One word to describe Adrien Broner might be unconventional. If you ask him a typical question — whatever the subject — chances are you’ll receive an atypical answer.
Broner and unbeaten Jovanie Santiago of Puerto Rico on Thursday took part in a virtual news conference to promote their 140-pound fight Saturday night at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., which will be televised on Showtime.
A.B. fielded typical questions from host Brian Custer on stage and then reporters via Zoom. Some of his answers were classic A.B.
One journalist, referring to what seems to be Broner’s renewed focus on boxing after a two-year hiatus from the sport, asked him: “What did you learn?”
Broner responded: “I learned I could stop having sex. That’s one of my biggest problems. I like to party, I like f—ing. I had to cut it all out, the partying, the drinking, and just get serious with my career to become that elite fighter, to take back over the sport.”
Custer asked him what he wants to accomplish going forward.
“Right now I’m just trying to beat COVID. … I want everything to open up, I want people to come back to fights,” he said. “It’s started to feel like a game. This situation (people separated at the news conference) is some b—s—. This ain’t real, having to stay apart, staying out of your face.
“I like to put my hands on people at pressers. This don’t feel real. Once the bell rings everything will go away and we’ll get straight back to business.”
Custer also asked him about a comment made by Santiago that seemed to imply that Broner is nothing special.
“Hey man, at the end of the day, he’s here because of me, you’re here because of me, the whole cast is here because of me. That’s special,” he said. “So Saturday night the only thing that’s going to be special is the ass whooping I’m going to give out. He’ll know then. … He ain’t going to be talking like that after Saturday.”
Broner (33-4-1, 24 KOs) also was open about his life and goals in a more serious sense.
Custer asked him what made him decide to come back after his extended layoff. And a journalist later asked him why he “retired,” a word he used when he stepped away after his one-sided loss to Manny Pacquiao in January 2019.
“I went through a lot of things, honestly,” he said. “The way I live my life, I went through a lot. One day I just woke up and said, ‘I’m done. I gotta get my s— together in order to change, I have to make a change or I’m going to get caught up in doing the same thing.’ … It’s been a long road to get where I am today and I’m here.”
He then added: “I don’t know how long you’ve worked without taking a break. For me it was from 6 years old to, what, 30? I never took a break from boxing. I thought, ‘You know what? I need a break.’ That’s what I did. Then I was missing boxing and got back into it. And I’ll be back to it Saturday night.”
Broner also said repeatedly that Santiago, an unbeaten Puerto Rican, is no pusher and that his focus is squarely on Saturday night. He also made it clear how determine he is to succeed, revealing fire we haven’t seen in some time.
“I’m ready to put it all on the line,” he said. “I don’t know how he feels I’m willing to die in there, I’m willing to put my life on the line, I’m willing to give it all until I ain’t got s—left.
“I don’t know how far he’s willing to go. I’m willing to say, ‘F— everything. I’m ready to put everything on line.”
Santiago responded through a translator: “I’m ready to die on the line, like they say in Puerto Rico.”
And, while Broner didn’t want to look past Santiago, the 31-year-old former four-division titleholder left no doubt that he’s thinking big in terms of his immediate future. He wants to regain the status he lost long ago.
“I just feel like I’m going to be a world champion again … and again and again and again … until I’m really don with boxing. Yes, I took two years off. I retired to let my body heal and rest. I feel I have what it takes to win more championships in different weight classes so that’s what I’m going to do.”
Then, evidently speaking directly at and near his weight: “Listen, if y’all got a belt, just hold onto it. … That s— is going to be mine. I’m coming to sweep it all up.”