Broner ready to throw fists with flair as world title mission begins

JUST when it seemed like the problem had gone away, here it returns, in human form, to wreak havoc across the welterweight division. Fighting in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, live on Triller TV, in tonight’s ‘Fists of Fury’ bill, Adrien Broner may feel like he’s endured a fall from grace. 

Especially as one of the main gimmicks of Don King’s fight poster was the half-joking invitation for fans to tune in and find out if Broner will even turn up to fight. Adrien is hoping his latest career run ends up at another world title opportunity. Any title he wins will be dedicated to the memory of career coach Mike Stafford, who died in 2023.

A press conference containing Broner, King and opponent Blair Cobbs (a character in his own right who had previously goaded ‘AB’ with an imitation puppet) was always going to provide moments of light-hearted entertainment. 

What perhaps came as a surprise was Broner’s candid admissions about alleged murderous activities. Whether these were truthful or an attempt to intimidate Cobbs is open to debate. There is always an element of mischief to be had from the Ohio mover, once expected to inherit the Mayweather mantle, now resigned to a promotional pact with natural bedfellow King that is currently on track to deliver one fight per year.

King has framed this bout around journeys. Broner’s apparent journey back to a world title, or, more likely, world-level relevance and Cobbs’ return to the ring for the first time in almost two years. The WBC has created a “People’s Championship” for the winner. Quite who those people are remains to be seen. 

Once upon a time, Broner was part of the same conversations as Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. While he couldn’t quite snare a bout with either of those, he did mix with Manny Pacquiao, Mikey Garcia, and Shawn Porter. 

Despite being viewed in some quarters as an underachiever, given his early career projections, Broner will go down as a four-weight champion. However, the 34-year-old is unhappy about how titles are currently being distributed.

Adrien Broner

“The way this boxing stuff goes, you never know what’s going to happen. They’re just giving out world titles. They’re going to give one of these YouTubers a title. I tip my hat to Errol Spence and Terrance [sic] Crawford; they’re doing their thing.

“Like I said before, my main focus is to become a world champion. All my life, I just wanted to be a world champion, and every time I won one, I cried tears. I’m pretty sure I’ll do the same thing when I win one again,” said Broner.

As for opponent Cobbs, the Las Vegas resident is seeking to reinvent himself after a spell with Golden Boy Promotions and the aforementioned ring absence. 

Blair Cobbs (Getty Images)

Last seen defeating Maurice Hooker in 2022, ‘The Flair’ is prepared for things to take a turn for the strange and believes Adrien will need to adjust to the fact that he is not the craziest cat in the ring.

“He has to adapt because there is someone in his midst that has a bigger and stronger personality and energy,” explained Cobbs.

“Honestly, I’m just having a good time – I’m having a ball. I don’t think anything’s gotten too personal, and it’s kind of hard to get too personal. I’m a clown, he’s a clown, and that’s how we get down.”

The Don King undercard -in association with Kris Lawrence- hosts some potentially entertaining scraps, including Michael Hunter, who is looking to get his career back on track, against once-beaten Cassius Chaney, who defeated Trevor Bryan last time out.

Former cruiserweight world champion Yuniel Dorticos and middleweight contender Ian Green also feature. In a battle of unbeaten Antonios, Antonio Perez (9-0) boxes Antonio Williams (16-0-1) for a couple of regional belts.