You refer to Adrien Broner as the next Floyd Mayweather Jr, and you are setting yourself up to have your feelings hurt. Adrien Broner is his own man, has his own personality, and is shaping his own path to being the best boxer he can be. The man nicknamed “The Problem” wants to be the best to ever do it, and he won’t stop until he makes that happen. The current WBC Lightweight Champion of the world is fast, brash, full of confidence, yet tough enough to back all of that up.
Broner will take another step towards greatness when he takes on Gavin Rees in his first title defense on February 16, 2013 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City televised live on HBO beginning at 10:30pm ET/PT. Adrien Broner took time out of his final days of training, to sit down with BSO to talk greatness, music, the present, and why he’s the future.
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BSO: Can you tell us about your early years growing up in Cincinnati.
AB: It was tough, not a lot of good stuff.
BSO: How did you get interested in boxing
AB: It’s something that grew on me the first day I got in the gym. I’ve never left since.
BSO: I heard you had over 300 amateur fights, and were a pretty successful amateur. Can you tell us about that.
AB: Uh, I didn’t get a chance to participate in the Olympics. I had a pretty good amateur career.
BSO: You fight a lot in Cincinnati, is that done on purpose to build your brand.
AB: You know you always need that fan base at home. You have to build that fan base at home. If you don’t have the support from home and the fan base at home, then you don’t have nothing.
BSO: Who were some of the fighters you looked up to growing up
AB: Rau’shee Warren. and Ricardo Williams.
BSO: what are your goals in boxing
AB: To the be the best boxer to ever lace up a pair of boxing gloves.
BSO: What do you like to do outside of boxing?
AB: I like to make music.
BSO: How serious do you take the music business and can you tell us some about your record label?
AB: I love music. I take it very serious. Music is a hobby for me, it keeps me out of trouble.
BSO: I was at your last fight, and you absolutely dominated Antonio Demarco, do you feel like you are at the top of the pound of pound best fighter in the world list.
AB: Yes, my last fight was cool, but my career is going to get better and better.
BSO: What is the difference between “The Problem,” and Adrien Broner at home.
AB: Nothing at all. Nothing.
BSO: Do you think people misunderstand some of your antics when you are in front of the TV screen, and possibly misinterpret who you really are as a person.
AB: Sometimes some of the things I do may come off as being disrespectful, but I’m just being me.
BSO: Does Gavin Rees do anything that concerns you or that you might be worried about
AB: No, I don’t worry about no fighter. Nobody.
BSO: Is there one particular fight that you want or want to see made. Is there that one fighter that truly piques your interest.
AB: Uh no not really.
BSO: Finally you don’t have to answer this question if you don’t want to, but I’ve always wondered, given that you and Floyd Mayweather Jr are from different era’s, I’m not asking if you think you’d beat him, but would you take that fight if the powers that be tried to make it, and would you win?
AB: I’m not going to answer that question.