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Adrien Broner mum on charges against him at press conference

Fighters Network
30
Mar

 

Photo: Courtesy of Swanson Communications

Adrien Broner and Ashley Theophane face off at presser before their title fight on Friday. Photo: Courtesy of Swanson Communications

There was no sight of Floyd Mayweather Jr. and no mention of Adrien Broner’s legal troubles. There was, however, plenty of trash talk and putdowns.

Yes, Broner’s final press conference before his junior welterweight title fight against Ashley Theophane Friday at the DC Armory on Spike TV was full of cursing and verbal attacks. But none of it dealt with the warrant currently out for Broner’s arrest on charges of felonious assault and aggravated robbery from a Jan. 21 incident. And none of it originated from Mayweather.

The recently retired fighter is promoting the card, but he was nowhere to be seen on Wednesday. Mayweather’s flight was said to be delayed because of wind gusts in the D.C. area, causing his absence, according to Premier Boxing Champions spokesman Tim Smith.



Without Mayweather around, the intrigue centered around whether Broner (31-2, 23 knockouts) would finally comment directly on his legal troubles. He did not. Broner and the rest of the card’s organizers stuck to the boxing script on Wednesday, never mentioning the situation and uttering the usual platitudes. It was only after he left the stage when Broner hinted at what he’s been dealing with.

“Anything is tough when you have a lot of things coming your way,” Broner said, according to a transcript of the press conference when he apparently spoke to reporters afterward. “I have tunnel vision. It’s fight time. I’m locked-in until I get the job done. Right now I have to focus on this fight. I’m keeping my mind in the right state. I’m not just doing this for me. It’s for my family. It’s bigger than just me.”

Broner seemed unaffected by what awaits him in Cincinnati. He plans on turning himself into the authorities after the bout, according to the Hamilton County (Ohio) Prosecutor’s office. He strolled to his seat on stage six and a half minutes after the press conference started, sitting on a stool next to the dais as the super middleweight J’Leon Love was talking.

Wearing a thick beard, a track suit and carefree attitude, Broner smiled and fiddled with his phone as the undercard boxers spoke, occasionally looking up to sling a one-liner or laugh at something.

“To be honest I didn’t come here to talk today,” he said after he was called up to the podium. “I wasn’t even going to come to this bulls–t today to be honest. The fight already sold. So my work is done.”

Broner went on to talk about the undercard, praising undefeated stablemate Robert Easter Jr., who faces former titleholder Algenis Mendez in the Spike TV co-feature. He then narrowed his focus on Mayweather, his mentor and occasional friendly rival.

“I’m kind of pissed Floyd ain’t here,” Broner said, before referring to Mayweather Promotions as “Hate-Weather Promotions.” After he was done talking about Mayweather, he ventured back to the subject of his opponent, vowing to knock out Theophane on Friday. “I’m going to keep my promise,” he said. “I will stop him. I can’t predict the future. I don’t know if it’s going to be the first, second, third or fourth round.”

When Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe got up to speak, he seemed to take offense to the “Hate-Weather Promotions” comment. “You’re not fighting Floyd,” Ellerbe said as Broner muttered something back. “You’re fighting Ashley. And this isn’t about Floyd anyway.” As the two playfully jabbed at each other, Ellerbe stopped to respond to a heckler in the crowd who said something to him about being bothered by Broner’s comments toward Mayweather. “Don’t worry about that,” Broner advised Ellerbe.

The fighters then faced off on the lip of the stage. Broner and Theophane seemed in deep conversation with each other as they posed off. But none of it was probably about the bigger fight that Broner likely has ahead of him.

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