Adrien Broner will be back in the ring sometime this year. However, the chances are it will not be on Pay Per View.
The four-weight world champion has seen his star fall considerably due to out-of-the-ring activities and after his last comeback on Showtime bombed.
Broner labored to an undeserved victory over Jovanie Santiago in February of 2021. The consensus being he lost nine rounds before gaining a unanimous decision.
Santiago out landed Broner in ten of the twelve rounds, only to be left disappointed on the scorecards.
The win for Broner puts him in line for another massive payday, albeit belatedly after he struggled through the pandemic.
Although looking back at his latest viewing figures won’t help him convince Showtime to put him on Pay Per View.
It’s doubtful Showtime will be able to justify putting Broner on their paid platform with cable averages of just 288,000 for Santiago.
Compared to Broner’s last three Showtime appearances, there’s plenty more work to be done. He needs to be more active, for starters.
The Jessie Vargas fight drew 782,000, Mikey Garcia 881,000, and even managed to pull 779,000 opposite, Adrian Granados.
In his last Pay Per View event against Manny Pacquiao in January 2019, Broner sold half a million PPVs alongside the Filipino legend.
Those Santiago numbers could see Broner having to participate in another regular Showtime bout to gauge whether he can make improvements.
Granted, it was only a stay-busy contest on paper. But Broner effectively lost the fight – even if the judges gave him the verdict.
On official even scored the first round for Broner despite the welterweight not landing a punch. They must factor all this into his next fight.
DEFIANT ADRIEN BRONER
Though, a defiant Broner had a ‘message for his haters’ in the aftermath.
The statistics don’t lie even when displaying a picture of himself next to Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, and Pacquiao.
Broner is among just four boxers to have won titles at 130, 135, 140, and 147. He’s in good company.
“I stay humble and calm. I know I will be in the hall of fame, but thanks to everyone who supports me. I’m thankful.”
SUPER-LIGHTWEIGHT
Where exactly Broner goes from here, opponent-wise, is anyone’s guess. But making it successfully down to 140 pounds is the first port of call.
Against Santiago, Broner failed to make the promised limit. That scenario left organizers changing the stipulated limit to welterweight at the last minute.
Shaving those six pounds off has to be the first task for Broner moving forward.
He’s in training now, and his good friend Erickson Lubin told WBN the 31-year-old needs to get the weight off for a title run.
“I think he is a super talent,” Lubin exclusively told World Boxing News.
“Adrien Broner can accomplish anything he puts his mind to right now. He can definitely bounce back. I think he should be at 140.
“That is a weight that he can make a lot of noise in [if he makes the weight]. He can take over his weight class. It is tough at 140, but he will do just fine.
Over to you, Adrien Broner.
WBN Editor Phil has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN on Twitter @WorldBoxingNews.
