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The Mayweather-Broner brouhaha boils over

Fighters Network
11
Nov
Photo by Naoki Fukuda

Photo by Naoki Fukuda

 

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been stirring the pot, taking shots at all sorts of folks, spurring more internet page views than any fighter, active or retired.

He went at Adrien Broner, an out-of-the-blue blow, being that “AB” especially has termed Mayweather “Big bro” and said he looks up to him. Yep, the harsh critique took Broner by surprise.

The Ohio-based boxer answered, filming a video response. This after Floyd took him to task for taking an “easy” fight, for a title, after coming off a loss to Shawn Porter, and told him he needs to grow up.



Broner, age 26, seems for real miffed when he says Floyd should respect that he’s a four-time world champion.

Floyd, 39 in February, took issue with Broner supposedly not being appreciative enough, to, for example, advisor Al Haymon. In the video comeback, Broner explains that Al Haymon picks his foes, and why should Floyd be dissing the people he’s fought, because, in fact, he’s dissing Haymon.

He tells Floyd to pick up the phone, instead of talking smack about someone he’s declared he loves. Basically, he’s calling Floyd a snake, for talking out of both sides of his mouth.

He then admits he could have said some things about fighting TMT fighter Ashley Theophane in a different way but wanted to make clear he respects “Money” as a talent. But as a person, no; Floyd gets an L, Broner says. “N***a, you got some growing up to do…and you older than me…That s**t you did was weak…Then you gonna bring up the Bruce Jenner s**t,” he said, almost starting to get into a takedown on Floyd being a fake friend to gays.

He finishes off by saying he’s supportive of The Money Team/Mayweather Promotions and he wishes the whole crew well. But he then says both of them are too big for this sort of “childish-ass s**t” and he then again asks for a return phone call. “That was some gay-ass s**t,” he says, making clear he has no actual problem with homosexuals.

I spoke to Broner’s trainer, Mike Stafford, and the tutor said he was a bit surprised at the Mayweather slams at AB. “I don’t know why Floyd did that,” Stafford said. Stafford defends his kid as having come up the hard way, not getting that Olympic experience that Mayweather did and believes he’s getting short shrift from Floyd in that FightHype.com piece. Let’s recall, Stafford said, Broner was veering off course, was facing 30 some years in jail and boxing kept him on a decent path. He’s a success story and why is Floyd tearing that down? After all, boxing has been a similar savior to him…

“Adrien has earned everything he’s gotten,” Stafford said. “You can’t take that away…And he’s not going to let anyone bully him around.” He says his kid is properly appreciative, of Haymon and of him, and others instrumental in his rise.

All in all, Stafford was mildly miffed, surprised, again, because he says Mayweather is and was always cool to him and them.

I do wonder if this initial attack from Floyd – it’s AB: all business – is stirring the pot to get some buzz if indeed his fighter Theophane gets a crack at Broner in January. Could well be Floyd is canny at working the system for buzz.

 

Michael Woods has his own system for buzz: Sugar cookies with jam. He’s so cheeky.

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