Adrien Broner seemed poised to fight welterweight Chris Howard on December 2nd on a card promoted by Don King Promotions, but the match has been confirmed as canceled due to reports of Broner suffering a hand injury this week. While the fight card is scheduled to continue at the Miami Jai Alai in Miami, Florida, both fighters will be absent from the event due to Broner’s injury.
Adrien Broner’s (35-4-1, 21 KO’s) injury is apparently linked to a previous injury he sustained during his last fight against William “Bill” Hutchinson (20-3-4, 9 KO’s) on June 9th this year, prompting the cancellation of their scheduled December 2nd bout.
“Adrien hurt his hand in the June 9th fight against William Hutchinson,” explained Broner’s trainer, Kevin Cunningham. “He returned to camp for six weeks for this fight and reinjured it sparring. He took a couple of cortisone shots and went back to work. He hurt it again in training, and the doctor said he needs to take time off.
“We’ll continue to stay in shape and get back to work. I personally guarantee to Don King that we will be in tip-top shape for a championship opportunity in late February.”
Broner now appears to be eyeing a title fight at super lightweight or welterweight, as indicated in his latest interview with Don King Productions (DKP).
“The hell with tune-up fights,” Broner told DKP. “I’m ready to take on any of the champions in the 140- and 147-pound division. I’m ready to fight the big guys. Everything they think I don’t have, I still got. I’m ready to fight Ryan Garcia or Rolando Romero or the winner of the Regis Prograis—Devin Haney fight.”
Although Broner is recognized for his past achievements, he is currently only ranked by the WBC, placing him at #15 in their welterweight rankings. He is not ranked by other sanctioning bodies, diminishing his chances of securing a world title opportunity.
Furthermore, more active and higher-rated fighters are arguably more deserving of opportunities against fighters like Ryan Garcia (35-4-1, 21 KO’s) and Devin Haney (35-4-1, 21 KO’s). While both Garcia and Haney are set to fight in December, Broner’s current ranking does not position him high enough to be considered as an opponent at super lightweight, significantly reducing his chances of facing these fighters.
Don King, Broner’s promoter, supports his fighter’s ambitions, expressing confidence that Broner will secure more world titles at this stage of his career.
“Adrien is ready for the big time,” said King. “He’s a four-time World Champion, and he’s going to win four more titles under my promotion. We’ll still hold the People’s Championship card on Dec. 2nd with six title fights up for grabs.”
Despite Broner’s ambitious goals, he appears to be regaining his footing after his June 9th comeback following a two-year layoff. Given his current ranking as the WBC’s #15 welterweight, a more realistic option would be a fight with unified welterweight champion, including WBC champion, Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KO’s), although neither Broner nor Don King have mentioned this option.
American middleweight Ian Green (17-2, 11 KOs) is now set to headline the December 2nd Miami card against countryman Vaughn Alexander (18-7-1, 11 KOs).
