"The Problem" has a major problem.
Marcos Maidana (35-3, 31 KO) took it to Adrien "The Problem" Broner (27-1, 22 KO) in dominant fashion from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, en route to a unanimous decision that was scored 115-110, 116-109 and 117-109.
It was an ugly affair from the beginning. Maidana was the aggressor the entire night—in what is surely a match of the year candidate—but that does not mean the bout was a competitive showcase. Fans were treated to plenty of action and theatrics, but neither was evenly distributed between the two.
After plenty of trash talk and antics leading up to the fight, the formerly undefeated Broner watched helplessly as the Argentine was announced the winner of the WBA Welterweight Championship.
It did not take long for Broner to find the media and make two things known—he is still his usual self, even in defeat, and he wants an immediate rematch, per The Associated Press' Raul Dominguez (via ABCNews.com):
I'm OK. I'm still the three-time world champion in three different weight classes. Tonight, Maidana was just the better man, but we fought a hell of a fight. I hope the fans got what they deserved. ... I'm still going to live like we won the fight. I'm still going to party...I'll tell you one thing, make a rematch. I don't need a warm-up fight. I want a rematch.
Let the image rebuilding begin.
Look, Broner has been a dominant fighter. But after a knockdown blow delivered by "El Chino" in the second and eighth rounds, the Cincinnati native has some work to do to rehab his credibility.
This is especially the case after all the trash talk leading up to the fight, not to mention Broner's attitude and antics on any given day. After all, Broner is the guy who told the media Maidana is simply a "stepping-stone" and bragged about how he ate more ice cream during the camp leading to the Showtime bout:
But Broner's actions were not limited to his usual pre-fight, immature stuff to which fans are accustomed. He visibly taunted Maidana early in the bout before things got ugly, and when they did, Broner threw a late punch after the bell and even put on a nice acting job when his opponent responded with a dirty tactic of his own, captured by David Portnoy:
Yikes. Certainly not a good look for the guy who claimed to be boxing's next Floyd Mayweather, per Marcus Henry of Newsday:
My career is going to the rooftop. It’s going to skyrocket. But this is just the beginning. It starts here. Every boxer wants to be where I am right now. I am the person who is going to take over boxing after Floyd Mayweather.
As ESPN's Robert Flores illustrates, it is time to end any such comparisons:
Mayweather himself felt it necessary to come out and show support for Broner after the crushing loss:
Suffice to say, Broner should take a do-over if the opportunity presents itself. Any future trash talk rings a bit hollow after getting picked apart, both in the ring and out.
The problem is, Maidana has no reason to take a rematch outside of the almighty dollar. But the Argentine has now placed himself among a select few who could make a case for a bout with Mayweather. While he may be willing to give Broner a rematch, he is now a major draw on his own.
Which leaves Broner in a perilous situation. He set himself up for a scenario like this via his behavior, but he was too short-sighted to think it could unfold.
But here we are with Broner. Chirp all he wants, Broner has a mountain to climb in order to save face. The request for a rematch was a smart first step (or as he'd call it, a stepping-stone) in what is sure to be a grueling process.
From here on out, Broner must do his talking in the ring—it is all people will listen to at this point.
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