If one were to ask Adrien Broner how he planned to beat Mikey
Garcia, what would he say? What strategies or tactics would he use to win the
fight minute-by-minute, round-by-round? Would Broner give a coherent answer, or
would he fall back into boilerplate, talking about his "superior
skills?"
I ask these questions because in watching Broner-Garcia on
Saturday (in which Garcia won by a wide, unanimous decision), I didn't have the
foggiest idea of how Broner intended to win. He'd feint, reluctantly throw a
jab and find a moment or two to flurry. Garcia consistently out-punched and
out-landed him. And as Garcia continued to put rounds in the bank, Broner
lacked the requisite knowledge or desire to change the trajectory of the fight.
What was Broner's plan?
Even though Broner's corner, led by head trainer Mike Stafford,
was chaotic between rounds, at least Stafford had an idea of how Broner could
potentially get back into the match. He exhorted Broner to take the fight on
the inside and physically impose himself on Garcia. Yet, once in the ring, Broner
chose to ignore Stafford's pleadings and instead continued with his same brand
of listlessness. Broner ate lots of shots. Most often, his only retaliation
after getting hit was to nod his head in disapproval.
Listen, I don't think that Stafford is any kind of brilliant
tactician but on fight night he was trying his best. Broner, either due to
arrogance or fear, didn't want to follow Stafford's plan. Instead, he kept the
fight at range and continued to get pasted throughout most of the match.
It's easy to say that Broner needs a new trainer but at this point
the fighter's litany of problems extends far beyond who coaches him. In short,
Broner isn't a student of the sport and he has never tried to become one.
Broner was able to get to the world-level on account of his punch technique,
reflexes and intimidation – both physical and psychological (not to mention
having the right managerial and network friends). But those attributes aren't
enough to beat the best. He seemingly enters the ring with no plan.
Often, top counterpunchers take a few rounds to see what works and
then they exploit those openings; Mayweather and Hopkins were
experts at that. But Broner is not among that group. He ambles from
round to round with little coherence. If he lands a big left hook to punctuate
an exchange, he doesn't seem particularly interested in exploiting that success, or following it up with any urgency. Broner doesn't systematically
look for opponents' weaknesses; he just throws punches and combinations from
time to time, hoping that they cause damage.
And The Problem has more problems: In Broner's three losses (there
could've been more), he was outworked and couldn't match his opponents’ effort
and desire – core intangibles that the best fighters possess. It would be
incorrect to say that Marcos Maidana or Shawn Porter possessed more "skills" than
Broner did on a punch-by-punch basis. However, boxing isn't won via textbook,
shadowboxing or sparring. An opponent is defeated in the ring. At the world-level,
against elite opponents, skills are only part of the mix in determining who
rises to the top, an aspect of prizefighting that Broner has failed to comprehend.
As a play on his initials, Broner has used the phrase "About Billions" as kind of an overarching theme or mantra for his boxing career. It's certainly fine to want big money. There's no shame in that. But Broner will fall far short of his remunerative goals. Ultimately, technical craft and flamboyance aren't enough by themselves to get to the big money in boxing. He needed to beat people. Top fighters. Elite ones. Throughout his career, he's come up short in those opportunities. More was needed from him and he didn't have the intangible factors (ring IQ, desire, teachability) to get to that next plateau.
As a play on his initials, Broner has used the phrase "About Billions" as kind of an overarching theme or mantra for his boxing career. It's certainly fine to want big money. There's no shame in that. But Broner will fall far short of his remunerative goals. Ultimately, technical craft and flamboyance aren't enough by themselves to get to the big money in boxing. He needed to beat people. Top fighters. Elite ones. Throughout his career, he's come up short in those opportunities. More was needed from him and he didn't have the intangible factors (ring IQ, desire, teachability) to get to that next plateau.
Looking at the other side of Broner-Garcia, Mikey Garcia did
everything an elite fighter is expected to do. He had a strategic plan in how
to defeat Broner. From carefully studying his opponent, he knew that Broner
gives opponents the body. Thus, Mikey hammered Broner downstairs with sharp
left hooks and right hands. In addition, Garcia expertly exploited Broner's
high guard by shooting his right hand around the gloves to the side of the
head.
By employing flawless footwork, Garcia cut off the ring and forced
Broner to the ropes throughout the fight. There, Garcia,
patient and poised, fired power shots to the body and head but maintained his distance
perfectly, which limited countershots. Garcia didn't attack recklessly but his
pressure throughout the night was constant. In those moments where Broner was
able to land a good punch, Garcia immediately responded with three or four of
his own.
Furthermore, Garcia, and his brother/trainer, Robert, understood
that Broner isn't the type of fighter who likes to trade. Broner likes to cover
up when under fire and usually responds only when an opponent is finished
throwing punches, or has left significant openings. Garcia was successful at
being first with his punches but like the rest of his game plan, his offense
was controlled and ruthlessly efficient. He threw over 700 punches in the fight
and yet did a magnificent job (using angles, not backing straight up, having
the appropriate distance, etc.) of limiting Broner's counters.
Robert Garcia had a resounding success with Maidana against
Broner but Mikey is a much different type of fighter. Maidana's biggest
strength was his unpredictability. Shots would come from all angles, whether
thrown correctly or not. Maidana would take three punches to land his own.
Maidana was a mauling power puncher. Mikey Garcia isn't that style of fighter.
However, Robert incorporated the lessons that he learned from Broner-Maidana to
give Mikey his best chance of winning. Robert understood Broner's weaknesses on
a fundamental level and imbued his brother with the knowledge and tactics
to exploit them. Both Garcias were at the top of their respective games on
Saturday.
In one corner of Saturday's bout, there was a perfect synergy
between fighter and trainer. They had a coherent plan to accompany Mikey's
considerable technical skills. The other corner featured disconnect and
disharmony. Broner and Stafford were working at cross-purposes. Perhaps Broner
and Stafford had an agreed-upon master plan leading into the fight. Maybe it
just didn't work; that happens. However, even if giving Broner and Stafford the
benefit of the doubt, once Plan A failed, Broner didn't believe in Plan B. He either
didn't believe in his corner's instructions or lacked the confidence to
implement them. Neither answer speaks highly of him.
So for now, Broner remains a "name." He's someone who
can help build other fighters of note or fill a TV slot against a lesser
opponent. However, it's clear that he has too many deficiencies to be a
consistent threat to the top fighters in the sport. Could he knock a guy out
and win a title against an elite? Sure, that's possible. But he'd be a
considerable underdog against any of the best at 140 or 147. In short, he
doesn't know what he doesn't know. He doesn't have the strategic understanding
of the sport. That in it of itself isn't the biggest crime in the world. There
are many successful fighters, wonderful talents, who aren't rocket scientists.
However, those fighters rely on their coaches and teams to give them the
strategic and tactical tools to win. Broner doesn't do that. If Broner
refuses to study his opponents and he won't listen to those who do, what
can he really accomplish at the top levels of boxing?
As for Garcia, he put forth perhaps his best performance in the
ring against one of his better opponents. It's unclear if his power is top-notch at 140 (Broner does have a hell of a chin) but he has the
tools, technique and intelligence to compete with the top of the
division. To me, his best natural weight is at 135 and he has talked about
moving back down for the right fight. Unfortunately, his best potential
opponents (Lomachenko, Linares and Crawford) don't often work with Showtime but
who knows, stranger things have happened. Perhaps a title unification at 135
against Robert Easter, Jr. could be in the near future. That would be an excellent
TV fight while Garcia waits for bigger fish.
Garcia has cemented himself as one of the top boxers in the sport.
After his 30-month hiatus, he has re-emerged with determination and steely
resolve. Before his self-imposed exile, he often talked about his fleeting love
for the sport. In his comeback, he has displayed little of that ambivalence
regarding his vocation. Right now, he's firing on all cylinders, and it's a joy to watch.
Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com
He's a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.
@snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook.
Adam Abramowitz is the founder and head writer of saturdaynightboxing.com
He's a member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board.
@snboxing on twitter. SN Boxing on Facebook.
