Adrien Broner Interview: On Antonio DeMarco, Floyd Mayweather, Andre Berto and much more
 By Anson Wainwright (Nov 14, 2012) Doghouse Boxing
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This weekend marks the
highly anticipated return of Adrien Broner; the sublimely
talented 23-year-old Cincinnati, Ohio resident squares off against his toughest
opponent to date in Antonio DeMarco, live on HBO from Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic
City. In doing so, Broner puts his perfect 24-0 (20) record on the line when
he attempts to become a two-division world champion (formerly holding WBO
junior lightweight title), challenging DeMarco for his WBC lightweight title.
It will be Broner's first official fight at 135 and he intends to make every
bit the statement, picking out the universally-recognised top guy at lightweight.
While “The Problem” will have all the technical gifts going in, it should be
remembered just how tough DeMarco is having
taken all the late Edwin Valero could throw at him before being mercifully
retired at the end of nine. And let’s not forget the terrific late drive he
made late to halt a blood-soaked Jorge Linares to claim the WBC laurels last
year. Once again, DeMarco is in with a more gifted individual in the precocious
Broner but he'll bring the sort of pressure and toughness that will show us
just what Broner is made of and if he can live up to the Floyd
Mayweather comparisons. “Mini-Mayweather,” “Mayweather
Lite,” “Mayweather 2.0,” those are lofty heights Broner needs to scale. Fight
by fight, he's earning the respect of boxing fans and media alike and one day,
those similarities may hold true.
Anson Wainwright - On 17th November
in Atlantic City, NJ., you challenge Antonio DeMarco for his WBC lightweight
world title. What are your thoughts on that fight?
Adrien
Broner – Um, it's going to be a nice fight. DeMarco, he's not champion for
nothing but I'm going to be ready.
AW
- What do you think of DeMarco as a fighter?
AB
- You know, I'll just keep that between me and my coach and, come fight night,
I'll be ready for whatever.
AW
- In your last fight over the summer, you met Vicente Escobedo. You missed
weight and then the check weight. It didn’t appear that you showed any remorse.
Looking back, do you wish you’d maybe been more humble?
AB
- I don't worry about the weight situation; I grew out of the weight and that's
why I'm a lightweight now.
AW
- Could you tell us about your early years growing up in Cincinnati?
AB
- It was a rough life coming from the hard parts of Cincinnati. I stuck with
boxing and God guided me through and I'm a professional world champion and
I'm going for my second world title.
AW
- How did you first become interested in boxing?
AB
- My dad put the gloves on me and my twin brother, Andre. We'd box everybody in
the neighborhood and beat everybody up. One day, he took us to the gym and I've
been there ever since, since I was six years old.
AW
- What happened to your brother as far as boxing was concerned?
AB
- Sometimes you grow out of things; you lose the rage for something and he just
lost the feeling for boxing. He's an artist of the label I'm a CEO of, Band
Camp.
AW
- You had something like 300 amateur bouts. Could you tell us about your
amateur career? How come things never worked out for you with regard to the
Olympics?
AB
- I would have made the Olympic team but you know, growing up in Cincinnati,
sometimes you get caught up in things. I
won Silver Gloves, bronze medalist in the Junior Olympics. I never got to the
open class but I did win some national tournaments as a junior.
AW
- From the very beginning of your career, you’ve fought at home in Cincinnati,
regularly helping build your brand at home. Was this something you did on
purpose?
AB
- I love fighting at home. The crowd loves me; the people at home love me. It's
always great to have a fan base at home. If you don't have a fan base at home,
how are you going to have a fan base anywhere else? It starts at home. I have a
big huge following at home.
AW
- I think I’m correct in saying Floyd Mayweather Jr. is your boxing hero. Could
you talk to us about your relationship with Floyd?
AB
- He's definitely a role model of my life, somebody I look up to. He's
accomplished goals I want to accomplish in my life. I'll probably do more. I
look up to him.
AW
– You say “probably do more.” How do you mean? You want to do more than Floyd
has in boxing?
AB
– Exactly. If I could, I want to do more than he's already done in boxing.
AW
– What would those achievements be?
AB
- Whatever it is, I really want to do what's never been done in this boxing
game. Whatever it is, you know you have a lot of champions out there. You have
a lot of people who have achieved titles at different weights but that excitement
that I bring is phenomenal. Nobody brings that to the table.
AW
– Recently in an interview with The Ring magazine, you made a statement and people have jumped on it when you said you
believe at 23, you’d beat Floyd when he was 23. Could you go more into that?
AB
– Floyd, like I said, I look up to him. No disrespect to him; we will never
fight, different eras. He’s a star in his era; I’m a star in my era. You know
it is what it is; when I’m fighting, he watches me and when he’s fighting, I’m
watching him. We inspire each other.
AW
- You have won a world title at 130. You’re attempting to win your second at a
second weight class but what are your goals in boxing? Do you want to win X
amount of titles in X amount of divisions or don’t you plan things like that?
AB
– Exactly. However the cookie crumbles, that’s how we’re going to play it.
But I definitely want to be the best person to ever lace up a pair of boxing
gloves.
AW
- What do you think of the lightweight division and the current champions like
the WBO’s Ricky Burns and the IBF’s Miguel Vazquez?
AB
– You know, I really don’t worry about none of these guys. I have
DeMarco to worry about right now and in this game, you have you have to take
one at a time. He’s the only one I’m worrying about.
AB
– I was basically saying I’ll fight anybody. Anybody who’s willing to grab
the rope to hang them self, I’m ready.
AB
– I just felt like I needed my hair brushed. (laughs)
AB
– That was on the spot. I just thought I should do it and it would be
funny. It’s my sense of humor.
AW
– Did it get you in trouble afterwards?
AB
– No way.
AB
– Well, I think Robert Guerrero, he has to get past Andre Berto first and
I have to definitely get past DeMarco but it’s definitely a future mega-fight
if we both can win.
AW
– How do you see the Guerrero-Berto fight going?
AB
– Um, you know it’s a good fight. May the best man win but I’m pulling for
Berto.
AW
- What do you enjoy doing away from boxing?
AB
– I play basketball. I have fun with my kids; I rap. You know, I do
tons of things; I just try to have fun. I actually have five kids. I have a newborn
baby who’s six weeks now. I have a one-year-old. I have a three-year-old, a
four-year-old and a five-year-old.
AW – If one of your kids wanted to be a
boxer, would you be happy with that and bring them into the sport, I suppose
much like Floyd Mayweather with his father and family?
AB – I’m going to let them do what they
want to do but most likely they’ll box too.
AW – Finally, do you have a message for
Antonio DeMarco?
AB – You better be in shape.
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