New champ — Marcos Maidana
[BoxingGlove Notes]
True to his predictions Marcos “El Chino” Maidana, 34-3, 31 k.o.’s, fighting like the “wild bull of the Pampas”, humiliated, exposed, and brutally defeated Adrien “The Problem” Broner, then 27-0, 22 knockouts, by a unanimous decision, 115-110, 116-109, 117-109, and won the W.B.A. Welterweight Title.
Please note that I awarded the first 5 rounds to Maidana with one even, with my final score of, 118-108 in favor of Maidana. There was no doubt that the new champ Maidana had won the fight and the title unless as I momentarily feared, the fight was judged by the “3 blind mice”.
This fight in reality, in my opinion, was an “exposure” of a boxer who lived a fistic “façade” throughout his entire undefeated boxing career of 27-0, 22 k.o.’s, while winning 3 world titles in 3 weights divisions, giving fans the impression that he was the “second coming” of a Floyd Mayweather. That was not to be because from the first round on through the final 12th round, Maidana pounded, brutalized, out-boxed, knocked Broner down-twice-once in the 2nd round and then in the 8th round-and, almost out. I didn’t think Broner was going to get up after the first knockdown.
Being gutsy, Broner, or perhaps due to Maidana’s wild punching and surviving those knock downs, fought back courageously but you could tell that he was “one and done”. Broner became gun-shy, and didn’t punch in the rapid combinations that he always utilized. In fact he looked intimidated by Maidana as he bled from his nose and mouth, reluctant to punch back I thought, for fear of getting hurt further. Round by shocking round we saw the dismantling of this self- named best fighter in the world second to his idol Mayweather, who couldn’t figure out a way of going from plan “A” to plan “B” to retain his title and salvage his undefeated “0”.
Perhaps thanks to his trainer Garcia, Maidana used a very effective jab keeping Broner confused and on the defense followed by his potent knockout intended hard punches to head and body on a hapless Broner. Round after round Broner would stagger to his desperate corner trying to come up with a way to solved the vicious onslaught by a determined and vicious Maidana.
Broner tried every trick sometimes dirty and disrespectful to off-set Maidana’s well-prepared battle plan, but it was to no avail as Maidana kept coming forward like a battering ram on a search and destroy mission. Broner would push his opponent, elbow him, and even simulated sexually “humping” Maidana from behind as the crowd booed in disgust. In the 11th round Maidana remembering the insult, returned the hump as he was pummeling a soon to be defeated Broner.
Staggering towards his corner at the end of the 10th round, Broner was told by his trainer Mike Stafford, “Adrien, you need a knockout to win, you are very far behind”. Broner just nodded in assent, and when the bell rang for the 11th round, Maidana attacked him again as in the previous 10 rounds until mercifully the fight ended in the 12th .
Surprisingly, and to the annoyance of the fans after the winner was announced Broner “stormed” out of the ring refusing to be interviewed and also in his dressing room. I wonder about the person’s maturity and sense of fair play. As long as things were going his way and he was recognized as the future ring icon or heir apparent to the Floyd Mayweather boxing dynasty, there wasn’t an interview he wouldn’t give. Now that he received his “come-uppance”, as we say in our urban communities, he wouldn’t talk to the press. Later on he did demand that he wanted an immediate rematch, “no tune-up, I want the rematch now”.
You wonder sometimes if Adrien Broner an amateur standout, and 3 time world champ in the pro ranks, was brought along too rapidly. Maybe he was spoiled by the riches of fame and fortune, and perhaps, fighting “easy” opponents caused this brief damage to his career. You also wonder more importantly, if he is mentally able to “survive” this set back and be a better and more matured fighter in the future. I assume it will be a wait and see process since he is still very young, at 24.
Broner must also realize that he is now “beatable”, and he is in a highly competitive weight class, 147 pounds, the “home” of Timothy Bradley, Manny Pacquiao, Bam Bam Rios, Devon Alexander, Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, etc. to name just a few of this crowded level.
Marcos Maidana now finally a world champ and from Argentina has followed in the foot steps of his fellow Argentinians, past and present, Paulino Uzcudun, Carlos Monson, Sergio Martinez, Lucas Mattyhsse in gaining a world title, but surprisingly and importantly, they are all hard punchers. It’s probably in their “D.N.A.”
Maidana did state in the post fight ring interview that he stuck to the plan that his trainer Robert Garcia prepared. “We knew Broner could not be rushed and punched as I did to him because he likes to stand and pose while he picks you apart with counter-punches like he has done to his other opponents. Every round even though I was getting a little tired in the later rounds, I kept up the pressure to keep him off balance and defense minded. I am very proud I won this crown for my country, my Mom, and now I am willing to defend it even in Argentina”.
The other fights all championship events, lived up to their billing. Beibut Shumenov, 14-1, 9 k.o.’s W.B.A. & I.B.A. Light Heavyweight Champ, from Kazakhstan, had an easy time defending his titles against Tamas “Tomi Kid” Kovacs, 23-0, 14 knockouts, from Galanta, Slovakia. Shumenov knocked Kovacs down 3 times, once in the first 3 rounds and the referee mercifully stopped the fight. Bernard “The Alien” Hopkins, 175 pound I.B.F. Champ immediately challenged him.
Leo Santa Cruz, 25-0-1, 15 k.o.’s, W.B.C. Super Bantamweight Champ, successfully defended his title against Cesar Seda, 25-1, 17 knockouts, from Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico, a little known but tough opponent, by a unanimous decision of 117-110, 115-112, 116-111. It was very close in the beginning until Santa Cruz with his relentless body punching not only knocked Seda down, but tired him badly and was able to win the hard earned victory. The world champion drought continues for Puerto Rico, and Mexico is still in control.
The semi-final fight was an old fashion “barn-burner” with young, talented, and super confident, Keith “One Time” Thurman, 21-0-1ND, 19 k.o.’s, knocking out veteran, journeyman, Jesus Soto Karass, 28-8-3-1ND, 18 k.o.’s, at 2 minutes & 21 seconds of the 9th round to retain his coveted W.B.A. Intercontinental 147 Pound Crown. In the very first round you almost witnessed an upset when Karass caught Thurman, “cold” with a hard right hand punch almost knocking him out.
Thurman true warrior that he is clinched and moved away from danger and jabbed until he regained his senses. From then on it was all downhill for Karass who in his previous fight had knocked out the very talented former world champ, Andre Berto. After the victory Thurman issued a challenge to the winner of the Broner vs. Maidana championship fight. Of course we now know that the challenge “went” to the new W.B.A.147 pound Champ, Marcos “El Chino” Maidana.
This was a very enjoyable fight card with no surprises in the outcomes of each fight including the main event because the “problem” with Adrien Broner is that he was not ready for “prime time”, but he didn’t know it.
