Stay Off the Ropes
Photo by Stephanie Trapp
Paul Malignaggi is the only common opponent between Shawn Porter and Adrien Broner.
The “Magic Man” is a swift boxer who was overwhelmed by Porter especially along the ropes where he was eventually left sprawled out and unconscious for good within four rounds.
Broner wasn’t so impressive, eeking out a split-decision win over Malignaggi in 2013. In his very next fight, the hyper-aggresive Marcos Maidana handed him the first loss of his professional career.
Maidana hit Broner with anything and everything he could for 12 rounds, even knocking him down into the ropes in Round 2 with the same lunging left hook Porter throws so well.
The Cincinnati native may enjoy referring to pound-for-pound kingpin Floyd Mayweather Jr. as “big brother” but he shouldn’t want to continue to emulate Mayweather’s weakness for high-output brawlers.
Broner needs to avoid the ropes Saturday night lest he’s suffocated by punches again like he was against Maidana or even the unheralded Vicente Martin Rodriguez who viciously swarmed Broner back in 2011 for three-and-a half rounds before being cracked by Broner’s patented right uppercut.
